There is a bit of a rivalry between San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and OKC Thunder center Chet Holmgren. Although Holmgren was drafted a year earlier, he didn’t start his NBA season until Wembanyama was in his rookie year. Given that they’re both 7-feet tall, can shoot and dribble the ball like a guard, there were hundreds of comparisons between the two frontcourt players.
But they had different situations. Wemby was given the keys to the Spurs franchise as the next big star. Holmgren, on the other hand, had a decent and somewhat developed young core that welcomed him in Oklahoma City. The former Gonzaga star became teammates with a rising Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a productive Jalen Williams.
The media, pundits, and fans were compelled to compare the two despite their distinctions. Last season, both Wemby and Holmgren had amazing seasons. The Spurs star earned his first All-Star appearance and the Thunder center won his first NBA championship.
In this new campaign, Victor Wembanyama was off to a flying start, scoring 100 points in the first three games. One of the main reasons for this is that Wemby is motivated after seeing his rival win a title last season. ESPN’s Marc Spears shared during his appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Monday.
“They’ve been going back to under 20s, under 18, even,” Spears said. “Chet got the championship. Wemby doesn’t have a championship. I was told by somebody inside that room that Wemby is motivated by Chet having one up on him with the championship.”
Chet Holmgren winning a championship motivated Victor Wembanyama, per @MarcJSpears
“I was told by somebody inside that room that Wemby is motivated by Chet. Chet having one up on him on the championship.”
(Via @ESPNNBA / h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )pic.twitter.com/4T0Et24fT7
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) October 27, 2025
While Wemby is having one of the best starts of his career, Holmgren isn’t far behind. The Thunder big man is averaging 24.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in the first three games.
ESPN’s Tim Legler doesn’t think Victor Wembanyama can break Mark Eaton’s block records
Victor Wembanyama is one of the best defensive big men in the NBA. With his length, it’s almost impossible to shoot a shot over him, especially when he’s near the basket. His 8-foot wingspan has helped him establish himself as one of the best defensive players.
Through the first three games, the Frenchman has rejected 18 shots, averaging six per game. Even with that, ESPN’s Tim Legler doesn’t think he’ll break Mark Eaton’s blocks record. The former Utah Jazz center had 456 blocks during the 1948-85 season.
“I’m here to tell you, he’s not doing it,” Legler said. “Mark Eaton, in the 1984-85 season, had 456 blocks. So, if Wemby were to play 70 games, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he’d have to average over six per game. That’s absurd.”
According to Legler, Wemby needs to average at least six blocks per game to break Eaton’s record. But it’s a young season, and the Spurs star’s health could play a factor.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
