Video: Chet Holmgren Denies 'Beef' with Victor Wembanyama, 'Always Going to Compete'

Chet Holmgren confirmed that his budding rivalry with San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama doesn't extend off the court.

"We're always going to compete and if people take it as we got beef, those people don't really understand competing, I guess," the Oklahoma City Thunder star said during an appearance on the latest edition of Paul George's Podcast P, Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment.

While the two lanky forwards weren't members of the same draft class, they shared the same rookie season after Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot that required surgery and caused him to miss his 2022-23 campaign.

Wembanyama won the 2024 Rookie of the Year award unanimously, although the Thunder forward accumulated 98 of a possible 99 second-place votes. Both players earned spots on the All-Rookie First Team.

Holmgren and Wembanyama share similar skillsets, using their long wingspans to reject shots at the rim while maintaining the ability to handle the ball and efficiently shoot from behind the arc.

They faced off three times last season, with the Thunder winning two of the matchups. While Oklahoma City won the season series, Wembanyama averaged 20.0 points and 13.0 rebounds against them. The individual battle between Holmgren and the former No. 1 overall pick didn't disappoint either, featuring several memorable moments.

As Wembanyama looks to bring the Spurs to a postseason spot following offseason additions such as Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, Holmgren will attempt to help the Thunder defend their status as the reigning No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The two big men should be involved in multiple exciting matchups once again, although Holmgren revealed that there isn't any animosity between them.