On Thursday night, the San Antonio Spurs met the Oklahoma City Thunder for a wildly entertaining game that featured the two biggest rookies in the league, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.
On Friday’s Run It Back, former NBA star Chandler Parsons was asked if Wembanyama and Holmgren make up the newest big rivalry in the NBA.
“I hope so,” Parsons said.
He went on: “This is a rivalry because, listen, they both coming in the same year, they both have the same kind of game, they’re both the same frame, they both make outrageous plays with the wow factor.”
“They’re going to be doing this for a really, really long time,” Parsons promised.
.@MichelleDBeadle "Is this [Chet Holmgren & Victor Wembanyama] the next great big rivalry in the NBA?"@ChandlerParsons "I hope so…This is a rivalry because listen, they both coming in the same year, they both have the same kind of game, they're both the same frame…They're… pic.twitter.com/50IHumARHZ
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 1, 2024
The Spurs walked away with the very impressive 132-118 win over the Thunder on Thursday, bringing their total for the season to a very weak 12-48.
But even though the Spurs are a troubled and lacking team, Wembanyama is still having a hugely successful first season.
He is averaging 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and a league-high 3.3 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, Holmgren is recording 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 blocks.
Parsons said that he believes Wembanyama is now running away with Rookie of the Year, clearly the leading candidate after months of close competition with Holmgren.
On Thursday, he scored 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists.
The game gained a lot of attention because it was yet another chance to see these two rookies battle against each other and NBA fans love every time they square off.
Because of how they play and how they are built, these are two rookie stars who feel very similar.
And the biggest thing they have in common is that they could definitely be the future of the NBA.
NEXT: Analyst Makes Strong Projection About Victor Wembanyama's Career