Chet Holmgren ends rivalry for Victor Wembanyama

The Oklahoma City Thunder took on the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, meaning the NBA has announced another version of Chet Holmgren vs. Victor Wembanyama.

The two 7-foot “unicorns” with incredible skill – who also happened to be selected as top-two picks in their respective drafts – are natural rivals. The NBA will continue to push the rivalry regardless of whether the two teams deny any rivalry or not.

After the 105-93 win, Holmgren spoke about the rivalry with Wembanyama.

“No matter what happens, it will always be the thunder against our opponent,” Holmgren claimed.

This is the same view held by all parties involved in the matchup. It's the Thunder against the Spurs. Next time the Thunder will face another team. However, marketing stars are the league's way of building anticipation among fans, and Holmgren understands how the forced rivalry works.

“The NBA is a business. The league consists of players who play basketball. It's about getting people to come to the games. This is how they advertise these games. “I just see it as a form of advertising,” Holmgren continued.

As mentioned, Holmgren is not the only person involved in this line of thinking. When Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich spoke to the media before the game, he gave a very similar answer.

“I’m not thinking about Chet versus Wemby,” Popovich said. “That's not what this is about. It’s the Spurs and the Thunder, and they’re playing each other.”

The two players are crucial to the success of their respective teams. Holmgren prevailed over Wembanyama and his team happened to emerge victorious.

The league won't stop pushing the rivalry further. They are also compared by fans because of their archetype as players. While the players may not feel it as much, the fans and media will continually support the clash, with the two players at the center of the discussion.

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