Victor Wembanyama Shoulder Bumping Rival Chet Holmgren in Game 5 Goes Viral

Victor Wembanyama made his presence known to Chet Holmgren in Game 5 of the WCF.

Victor Wembanyama Shoulder Bumping Rival Chet Holmgren in Game 5 Goes Viral

Victor Wembanyama (Left) and Chet Holmgren (Right) (IMage credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Victor Wembanyama shoulder bumped Chet Holmgren during a timeout in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
  • The Oklahoma City Thunder won Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead in the series against the San Antonio Spurs.
  • Wembanyama declined to speak to the media after a disappointing performance, recording only 20 points in the game.

It is no secret that Victor Wembanyama is not very fond of Chet Holmgren. The two have been battling it out on the court since their teenage days. It has often been observed that whenever asked about Holmgren, a different side of Wembanyama comes out, so much so that he takes it personally every time he plays his fellow big man.

However, Holmgren had the last laugh after Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night. The Oklahoma City Thunder recorded a convincing 127-114 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at the Paycom Center. The win has given the defending champions a 3-2 lead in the series.

In the first quarter, Wembanyama shoulder bumped Holmgren as the two big men walked to the bench during a timeout.

Both Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are expected to have several battles in the coming years. While some may label Holmgren as a “unicorn”, Wembanyama can be termed as an “alien”. The two have battled on the international stage in the past, and there is no doubt that there is some bad blood between them.

Holmgren has faced criticism in this series for not taking on Wembanyama one-on-one. The French star is playing in his first-ever playoffs this year and has already broken a few records on the way.

The Thunder center had the first few laughs in their rivalry after Wembanyama got drafted in 2023. But their head-to-head took a major turn this season, as the Spurs won four of their five regular-season games, including the semifinals of the 2025 NBA Cup.

However, with a 3-2 lead in the series, Holmgren is just one win away from a second consecutive NBA Final. Wembanyama will do everything he can to force a Game 7 as he looks to lead the Spurs to their first championship since 2014.

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Fans react to Victor Wembanyama bumping shoulders with Chet Holmgren

Victor Wembanyama has made it clear in the past that there is no love lost between the two. Their rivalry dates back to 2021 when the United States took on France in the gold medal game at the U19 FIBA World Cup. U.S won the game and Holmgren was named tournament MVP. Losing that final is something that Wembanyama has never gotten over since.

The clip of the two bumping shoulders in Game 5 generated several reactions across social media.

Many fans loved what they saw and appreciated Wembanyama for bringing in their playoff intensity. Fans predict that this is going to be a rivalry for many years to come.

Victor Wembanyama skips postgame media after a poor Game 5

Victor Wembanyama was coming off a dominant performance in Game 4. With the series tied at 2-2, it was expected that Wembanyama was going to take over once again. Unfortunately, that was not the case on Tuesday night.

Victor Wembanyama in Game against OKC
Victor Wembanyama in Game against OKC (Image credits – ESPN Insights/X)

It was a quiet showing from the 22-year-old as the Thunder played some elite defense on him. The Spurs center lacked aggression and recorded just 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 38 minutes. He was so disappointed with his poor showing that he declined to speak to the media after the match.

The loss sees the Spurs on the brink of elimination for the first time in these playoffs. It will be a huge test for the young side as they will look to take the series to a Game 7.

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