San Antonio Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama Calls Chet Holmgren 'One of the Greats'

Ahead of the first matchup between two 7-foot rookies, San Antonio Spurs power forward Victor Wembanyama made sure to give his opponent his flowers.

After a combined 583 days of waiting, two sets of fanbases are set to witness the exact thing they've been looking forward to since the NBA Draft.

For San Antonio Spurs fans, No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama is set to make his non-Summer League debut. For Oklahoma City Thunder fans, 2022 No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren is set to do the same. Neither player has seen real game action in their official regular-season threads, but that just makes it more exciting. 

Spurs fans didn't hide that excitement for the 7-4 rookie nor the rest of the team during San Antonio's Silver & Black scrimmage Saturday evening, welcoming each player with what Wembanyama described as an "almost standing ovation" on the court. 

"It really warmed my heart," Wembanyama said. "Every time a player of our team stepped onto the court, they almost got a standing ovation. It's [what] I expected, but it still [felt] good."

Oct 2, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) addresses the media during media day in San Antonio / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

But despite the long wait for 2023-24 Spurs basketball being over, those fans will have to wait a little longer to see them suit up at Frost Bank Center, as San Antonio is set to face Holmgren and the Thunder on the road in what could be the beginning of a budding rivalry for years to come. 

Safe to say, the Spurs' rookie is ready for the matchup. 

"[Chet] is a really good player," Wembanyama said. "I played against him once a couple of years back. He's part of the great players of this generation."

Holmgren has certainly been talked about as such since being drafted in 2022, but his injuries have prolonged his debut. Summer League proved that he's ready to play, however, as the center put up impressive numbers on both ends of the floor. 

Wembanyama sits in a similar position, just a year sooner. He does have improvements to make as far as his game goes, but he'll be seeing the ball in his hands a good amount of the time he's on the court — plus, the 7-foot opponent duo will likely put on a show on defense alone. 

However the game goes, it'll be a chance for both rookies to show what they're made of and face each other in a "battle of the greats" — assuming Wembanyama considers himself among the same group as Holmgren. 

So, gear up. Spurs basketball is here. And Wembanyama is ready.