Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs have emerged as the Oklahoma City Thunder's biggest threat, although Wemby isn't too concerned about the Thunder's young center.
He only scored 22 points, but the San Antonio Spurs' NBA Cup win over the Oklahoma City Thunder may have been the best game of Victor Wembanyama's career.
Not only did he record a +21 in only 20 minutes of play, but he put the Spurs on his back in the first half, allowing them to beat one of the best teams the NBA has ever seen.
In the fourth quarter, Wembanyama sent one of Chet Holmgren's shots back, causing a 24-second violation. When Holmgren missed two critical free throws down the stretch, Wembanyama was very vocal about celebrating the miss.
Ever since the two went head-to-head in the 2024 Rookie of the Year race, they've been pegged as the next great NBA rivalry. While it's clear that Wembanytama doesn't like him, The Alien wouldn't use the word "rival."
Wembanyama has been quick to praise Holmgren's teammate, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as the best player in the league.
"I'm just glad to be part of something that's growing to be so beautiful and...so pure and ethical," Wembanyama said after beating the Thunder, taking a shot at OKC's physical play style that has drawn some ire from fans.
While Wemby likes to think he has a rivalry with the Thunder as a whole, he downplays his attention to Holmgren.
"The MVP is in that court, the reigning MVP, so he is our main focus," he said before the game. "Anybody is hard to guard when you have to help on the MVPs."
So why doesn't Wembanyama want there to be talk about the rivalry between him and Holmgren? After all, they play the same position and have pretty similar playstyles. The reasons for a rivalry couldn't be more obvious.
Well, Wembanyama is just better, and he knows it. Holmgren is a great player, don't get me wrong, but he's the third-best player on his team behind SGA and Jalen Williams. Wembanyama, meanwhile, is the face of the franchise, and no one will shy away from that.
Would LeBron James want to be compared to Rip Hamilton? Both were stars in the 2000s, although Hamilton was not the best player on those Detroit Pistons teams. Comparing the two, despite their talents, would have been silly.
Wembanyama has his sights set on a much higher goal than being the third-best player on a title team. He wants to lead the Spurs to the top, and he doesn't want to be compared to some third-rate star along the way.
Maybe it's petty, but it it's the fuel he needs, you won't hear fans compalin.