Dirk Nowitzki was not exactly thrilled by Victor Wembanyama ahead of the San Antonio Spurs’ NBA Cup semi-final.
After missing 12 games with a calf injury, Wembanyama finally made his return against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fans were looking forward not just to seeing Wemby back in action, but also to his matchup with Chet Holmgren.
The rivalry between the two young players has been building, and the Frenchman added more fuel to it with his comments before the game.
Dirk Nowitzki not impressed by Victor Wembanyama’s response
Ahead of the NBA Cup semi-final pitting the Spurs against the Thunder, Wembanyama was questioned about his upcoming matchup with Holmgren.
“The MVP’s on that court, the reigning MVP, so he is our main focus. Anybody is hard to guard when you have to help on the MVP,” he replied to Prime Video.
He did not mention Holmgren at all, instead choosing to praise Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of Oklahoma City’s defence.
This did not sit well with Dirk Nowitzki, who felt Wembanyama should have given the 23-year-old centre more credit for his impact on the game and his growth as a player.
“I do want to say I didn’t love his answer about Chet. I wish he would’ve given him a little credit.
“You can say, ‘Hey, they have the MVP. Shai is incredible, but Chet has gotten better from year to year. He’s a champ, and I want to play hard against him.’
“I didn’t love that answer. To me, it’s too swaggy, too dismissive of Chet, but they might have something going, and I can’t wait. Get the popcorn out,” Nowitzki stated.
Victor Wembanyama outplays Chet Holmgren
From the opening tip to the final whistle, Wembanyama had the edge over Holmgren, even getting a few taunts in along the way.
Wemby finished with 22 points and nine boards in just 20 minutes off the bench, while Holmgren managed 17 points in 30 minutes.
The highlight of their matchup came when the Minnesota native drove inside and tried to finish over the Frenchman, who blocked him without much trouble.
The back-and-forth turned into more than just basketball when Wembanyama began reacting to Holmgren’s missed free throws from the sideline.
Fans will be hoping both stay healthy and are ready for their Christmas Day showdown, which is now less than two weeks away.
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