Victor Wembanyama is one of the most high-profile players in the NBA, and lately, he has been grabbing headlines with his performances on and off the court. The French Phenom has been struggling with a calf strain for almost a month, only to return in the semifinals and guide the San Antonio Spurs to victory against the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder.

Wemby only featured for 21 minutes and proved to be the difference between the two teams. His heroics meant that the Spurs ended OKC’s 16-game winning streak in the ongoing season. Despite being in a minute restriction, he will be the man that the New York Knicks will have to stop to secure the NBA Cup.

Ahead of the championship game in Las Vegas, Victor Wembanyama grabbed the headlines once again with his assessment of the Knicks. “Definitely matching the physicality, running the floor, and rebounding after guarding them in the half-court. They don’t play a brand of basketball as sophisticated as the Miami Heat or the Thunder, but their physicality is top in the league, so it’s a very tough team to play against,” Wembanyama told Chris Haynes in the pre-game interview.

He clearly knows that the Knicks have the personnel and skill set to take the title away from them; therefore, he and the Spurs will be extremely cautious in giving any space to Jalen Brunson and his team.

A subtle dig at their iso-heavy style, led by Jalen Brunson.

His comments highlighted the contrast in Knicks’ elite physicality—rooted in Tom Thibodeau’s and Mike Brown’s defensive schemes—with the more fluid offenses of teams like the Heat and Thunder, drawing from San Antonio’s recent 108-99 loss to New York, where the Knicks outrebounded them 50-39.

Recently, the French big man took a subtle dig at the Oklahoma City Thunder and their talisman, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There’s a burning narrative on social media where fans have criticized the OKC Thunder for playing ‘unethical basketball’.

The Thunder generally play extremely physical basketball, and they are often allowed to do so, but on the flip side, Gilgeous-Alexander is among the league leaders in fouls drawn this season, with NBA Legend Steve Nash referring to him as a “foul creator.”

Nash highlighted SGA’s skill in manipulating defenses to get to the free-throw line, noting that this ability is a significant part of his game.

Expanding on that narrative, Wemby highlighted that the Spurs play far more ethical basketball than following their NBA Cup semifinal win over the Thunder. “I’m just glad to be part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful — pure and ethical basketball,” he told reporters in his press conference.

Victor Wembanyma made his thoughts clear about Thunder star Chet Holmgren

Ahead of San Antonio’s semifinal matchup against the Thunder, Wemby shared his thoughts about OKC big man Chet Holmgren during a pre-game interview with NBC.

The former Rookie of the Year downplayed the Thunder center without taking his name while addressing the question: “The reigning MVP is on that court, so he’s our main focus. Anybody is hard to guard when you have to help on the MVP,” Wemby told NBC when asked about Holmgren.

His statement clearly implies that he believes that Holmgren’s high numbers are due to him playing with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Earlier, Wemby had made his thoughts clear that SGA is the best player in the NBA right now.

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Overall, the Spurs rely more on Wembanyama than OKC does on Holmgren, and therefore, their roles are entirely different. The Frenchman becomes irked when comparisons are drawn between him and the Thunder center due to their similar physical stature. For now, his off-court comments show that this could be the rise of a new rivalry between two big men.