Chet Holmgren pulled off a dirty move to stop Victor Wembanyama, and fans are in shock
Victor Wembanyama was unstoppable in Game 1 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals. In 49 minutes, he dropped 41 points and 24 rebounds to help San Antino Spurs escape with a thrilling 122-115 double-overtime victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Not to mention, 24 rebounds is a historic stat line for the 22-year-old. But the game also exposed some questionable tactics from Oklahoma City, with one viral play drawing heavy criticism.
The highly anticipated matchup against Chet Holmgren was entirely one-sided. Holmgren finished with just eight points and eight rebounds, fueling doubts about whether their rumored bad blood narrative even makes sense.
In the vacuum, a specific moment from the game didn’t help Holmgren much. A clip has since turned viral, showing him deliberately stepping on Wembanyama’s foot during a free throw to block him from getting an offensive rebound.
Chet Holmgren had to step on Victor Wembanyama foot to prevent him from getting an offensive rebound during a free throw 😭 pic.twitter.com/Hmk32tFXw7
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 20, 2026
His blatant move quickly drew heavy criticism across social media from fans calling out the dirty play. Folks weren’t interested in nuance.
Read more Shaq’s new nickname for Victor Wembanyama is clever and ridiculous at the same time
«Sorry OKC fans but you can’t defend this garbage,» one user wrote.
Another added, «This is disgusting. League needs to send a fine.»
A third noted, «That’s an intentional dirty play that could cause an injury.»
The fourth viewer claimed, «How pathetic for Chet to have to resort to intentionally stepping on Wembanyama’s foot.»
A random X user penned, «I guess grabbing Wemby’s arm wasn’t enough.»
Wembanyama and Holmgren have faced off since their teenage years. Their rivalry traces back to the 2021 FIBA U-19 World Cup finals, where Holmgren’s Team USA beat Wembanyama’s France and Holmgren took home Tournament MVP honors.
Since entering the NBA, they have competed closely for the 2024 Rookie of the Year and the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year awards. But both times, Wembanyama won.
Wembanyama also dominated Game 1 from start to finish. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a conference finals debut. Meanwhile, Holmgren’s name was nowhere to be found on the front page after a quiet performance.
Game 2 tips off tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, where Holmgren will try to bounce back from his rough opener.
Read more CFTC Sues to Block New Minnesota Law Criminalizing Prediction Markets
More NBA news:
- Shaq’s new nickname for Victor Wembanyama is clever and ridiculous at the same time
- Why everyone suddenly downplaying Victor Wembanyama’s Game 1 heroics
- Kyrie Irving rumors explodes as $244M star reportedly pushing for Western Conference powerhouse pursuit
- Victor Wembanyama just crashed the ‘smooth as silk’ narrative around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Two familiar faces emerge as Jason Kidd’s successor after Mavericks’ coaching shake-up
Comments