The Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs contest was a highly anticipated matchup. The two favorites for the 2024 Rookie of the Year – Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama – produced an entertaining duel, as many expected them to.
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The atmosphere at the Paycom Center didn’t allow the battle to give off a preseason vibe. Right from tip-off, Wemby and Holmgren went at each other. However, the contest became much more entertaining and fiery midway into the first quarter itself. The 7ft 4” Spurs rookie drove to the basket and finished the tough layup, despite being fouled by Chet.
The OKC youngster, who is pretty active on social media, didn’t mince his words when he implied that he was headbutted on the same play. Calling out the French phenom, the salty Gonzaga alum tweeted:
“The headbutt is an unstoppable move fasho😂😂🤝”
At first glance, it does seem like Wembanyama was fouled. But things look slightly different when looking at the play in slow-mo. The call could have been overturned had Mark Daigneault used the coach’s challenge. However, the challenge wasn’t issued, and the Spurs big man went on to complete the three-point play.
Despite the #1 pick of the 2023 Draft’s stunning performance – 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals – It was Chet Holmgren who did end up getting the last laugh. Recording 21 points and 9 rebounds, the 7-footer led the Thunder to a 122-121 slender victory.
Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are favorites to win the 2024 Rookie of the Year honor
Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have some similarities between them. Both the exciting prospects have almost the same stature (Wemby being 7ft 4”, 209lbs and Holmgren being 7ft, 195lbs). Apart from having a similar build, the two dynamic centers’ styles of play are almost identical.
They aren’t the traditional big men that the NBA is accustomed to seeing. Unlike the centers we’ve seen before, Victor and Chet are versatile. Not only can they block shots, grab rebounds, and dominate the paint, but they are also equipped with other skills – dribbling, passing, playmaking, and long-range shooting.
After an extremely long and draining 2022-2023 campaign, Wemby decided to utilize his summer by taking some time off from basketball. Whereas Chet Holmgren, who missed out on the entire 2022-2023 season, was in the gym preparing for his rookie year. As seen in videos, the OKC youngster was training alongside Kevin Durant and Jalen Green.
There is no doubt that Scoot Henderson could also be in the reckoning to win the 2024 Rookie of the Year. However, what we’ve seen them produce in their first preseason duel is enough to claim that Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren will be the frontrunners to win the prestigious honor.
