San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama doesn't dislike the reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.
No, he despises them.
Wembanyama made his thoughts known not only on the Thunder themselves but their own centerpiece big man Chet Holmgren. The two seen as the future of the center position in the NBA, Wembanyama has not been quiet about disliking the comparison between the two.
While Holmgren won an NBA championship last year, Wembanyama has shown little-to-no respect for the former Gonzaga player, ignoring him in a pre-NBA Cup semifinals interview with ESPN to focus on the MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
"The MVP is on that court; he’s our main focus," said Wembanyama when questioned about matching up with Holmgren. "Anybody is hard to guard when you have to help on the MVP."
After Saturday night's game in Las Vegas, where the Spurs eliminated the Thunder from the NBA Cup and handed them only their second loss of the season, the French big man publicly called out his American rival.
"Some people are built for this moment, and some aren't," he said in the post-game interview, referencing Holmgren. "We definitely are."
As one of the league's hottest rivalries was solidified this weekend thanks to Wembanyama's comments, his attention will now turn to Tuesday's NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas. The San Antonio Spurs will take on Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks to see who will be crowned the third-ever Cup champion.
Newsweek