10 October 2023 , 19:44
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San Antonio Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama started what seems set to be a long-running NBA player rivalry minutes into his preseason debut.
Wembanyama, 19, made a much-awaited first appearance for San Antonio at the Oklahoma City Thunder. As the first overall pick in the NBA draft, the teenager did not disappoint and lived up to the lofty expectations.
Despite the Spurs narrowly losing 122-121 to the Thunder, Wembanyama scored 20 points in just over 19 minutes. However, that was not enough to lead the game in scoring, as Chet Holmgren scored 21 points in 16 minutes minutes out on the court.
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The second overall selection in the 2022 draft was also making his preseason debut after missing the entirety of last season with a foot injury sustained soon after turning pro. His nine rebounds also topped Wembanyama's five.
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But on social media, the Frenchman's highlights went viral after multiple gravity-defying plays. One of which saw the Spurs star finishing through contact while being guarded by Holmgren.
After colliding with Wembanyama inside the paint, the Oklahoma City centre falls to the court, holding his mouth. He has now addressed the incident on social media. Quoting a SportsCenter post that features a 22-second clip of the play, Holmgren replies: "The headbutt is an unstoppable move fasho [sic]."
Replays show that Wembanyama does lead with his head while driving to the basket before going up for the layup. Nevertheless, the teenager still proceeds to flex on Holmgren as he is on the seat of his backside after taking the hit.
Albeit their comments about each other in the postgame press conference were much more cordial. "Obviously, (Wembanyama) is a great player," Holmgren admitted about his adversary. The Frenchman was equally complimentary of his opponent. "I felt like he hurt us in the first half. "And I know it's just preseason, but, for sure, the games against OKC will be interesting."
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was impressed by both performances while watching from the sidelines. "They went at each other a couple of times, and it was interesting," he said.
Wembanyama and Holmgren showed signs of starting a rivalry for the ages during their preseason debuts"It shows their character, their competitiveness, and they did it within reason. Neither one was shooting horrible shots; they weren't trying to do one another in or anything. It was basic basketball, and the basketball gods will agree. They will be fun for everyone to watch over their careers."
Both will face each other twice more on the court, with the first meeting coming in the early weeks of the regular season before their teams meet again in late January. They are also among the rookie of the year candidates.
Wembanyama remains the prohibitive favourite, but Holmgren is among the other contenders. Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson is another set to be a strong candidate for the award, leading a Damian Lillard-less team in the Pacific Northwest.