Thunder coach Mark Daigneault pushes back on Chet Holmgren vs. Victor Wembanyama rivalry narrative

While the Oklahoma City Thunder dismantled the San Antonio Spurs 140-114 on Wednesday night, one thing that was still very apparent was the back-and-forth between two of the NBA's young rising stars, Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. The duo are both playing in their first NBA season after Holmgren missed last year, and there were numerous occasions where one big man would go right at the other. There was even a bit of a staredown from Wembanyama after dunking on Holmgren.

The duo has fans excited about a potential long-time rivalry in the making. Still, it appears Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault isn't putting much stock in the whole "young star rivalry" narrative. After the game, he was asked about it and quickly shut it down with a blunt statement.

"It's a team sport, not tennis ..." Daigneault said, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.

Unfortunately, whether Daigneault likes it or not, the 21-year-old Holmgren, who was drafted No. 2 overall in 2022 and 20-year-old Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, are bound to be one of the biggest rivalries in the NBA for many years to come. It's already apparent when the two square off, and the fact they're also battling for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award only adds to the newfound rivalry.

The Thunder coach may want to buckle up for much more rivalry talk for the foreseeable future.