Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama has serious bad blood with Thunder star Chet Holmgren — at least fans think so originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs tip off Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.
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Despite the Spurs holding a 4-1 regular-season advantage and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning his second consecutive MVP award, the subplot making rounds online is whether Victor Wembanyama genuinely hates Thunder center Chet Holmgren. Both of them deny any bad blood, but public perception says otherwise.
The origin story dates back to 2021. Wembanyama and Holmgren first collided at the FIBA U19 World Cup Final, where Team USA edged France 83-81. Holmgren walked away with tournament MVP honors, while Wembanyama took home a runner-up medal. And, according to fans on social media, that’s the start of the tension between them.
Fast-forward to December 2025. Wemby dismissed the rivalry ahead of a matchup with OKC, saying, “No, I don’t think about that. At least from a basketball standpoint, there’s no comparison between us.”
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Holmgren took a more diplomatic approach on Paul George‘s podcast, saying, “I don’t want to go into any matchup and try to make it about what it isn’t. It’s about trying to win the basketball game.”
He added that while facing a great player brings extra competitive energy, he does not change his approach just because Wembanyama is on the floor.
Thunder forward Jaylin Williams echoed that ahead of the series opener. After praising Holmgren’s elite defense and play this season, Williams emphasized, “I don’t think anybody on our team wakes up because we’re playing the Spurs. We’re waking up because we’re in the playoffs and want to be the best version of ourselves.”
Fans, however, were never buying the “no bad blood” line with one X user writing, “No but seriously why does Wemby hate Chet so much.”
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Another added, “Wemby either gonna put up a BTA or shit the bed focusing on Chet all series.”
A third noted, “It’s not a rivalry — Wemby hates Chet and that’s the end. It’s just a one-sided beef.”
The fourth one claimed, “Wemby gon go at Chet so crazy this series. He don’t like son at all & it shows.”
Their stats do add some edge to the narrative, though. According to Underdog, in four head-to-head games during the regular season, Holmgren averaged 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks. Meanwhile, Wembanyama averaged 17.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in those same matchups. In terms of scoring, Wemby looks much better than Chet.
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However, the Thunder enter Game 1 as heavy favorites after recording an undefeated 8-0 start this postseason on their way to defending their NBA championship title. If Wembanyama wants to make a statement against Holmgren, this series provides the stage. If not, Holmgren will face the challenge of guarding the most versatile big man in basketball.
