Victor Wembanyama-Chet Holmgren Rivalry Addressed Before Game 1

The No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs will face off against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in a highly-anticipated Western Conference Finals matchup, starting with Game 1 on Monday night.

This matchup features several intriguing storylines, including the long-standing rivalry between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.

Wembanyama and Holmgren battled on the international stage before they began their respective NBA careers, with Team USA defeating France in the U19 FIBA World Cup Final in 2021. As 7-footers with guard-like skillsets, the two young players were often compared and pitted against each other.

Holmgren entered the league one year before Wembanyama as the Thunder’s No. 2 overall pick in 2022, but was unable to take the court for his rookie season due to injury. Holmgren finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Wembanyama in 2023-24.

This season, Holmgren finished second in Defensive Players of the Year voting behind Wembanyama - who was awarded the honor unanimously.

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Thunder forward Jaylin Williams was asked about the rivalry before Game 1.

"I think Chet's an All-NBA, All-Defense guy in this league. He's an All-Star. Every night, regardless of who we’re playing, who he’s lined up against, he takes the same approach,” Williams said. “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."

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Game 1 will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday.

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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 11:35 AM.