Victor Wembanyama just turned the Western Conference Finals into a nightmare for Oklahoma City. Game 1 at Paycom Center felt less like a playoff opener and more like a warning shot from the San Antonio Spurs star. The Thunder had no answer as Wembanyama took over the double overtime thriller with ease. And somewhere in the chaos, Oklahoma City forgot the oldest basketball rule ever made. If a giant is cooking, maybe send another giant at him.

Stephen A. Smith made sure to remind the reigning champions about their biggest flaw in the Monday night drama. He put out a message for the Thunder big man, Chet Holmgren. On First Take, the 58-year-old believed that the Thunder didn’t play bad basketball; they were a bit “rusty,” sure. Then, looking at the camera, he said, “Chet Holmgren, what’s up? What’s up? We heard all of this noise all of these years. Supposedly, I don’t know, never asked him, but y’all don’t necessarily get along. Y’all don’t really like each other. You and Wembanyama. Obviously, I understand he’s 7’5″, bro. You ain’t 6’5″. You’re 7’1″. You got skills. You can play.”

When you consider the Chet vs Wemby rivalry, then it would’ve made more sense for the Thunder star to show up against the French star. Now, while watching the game, Stephen A. Smith hoped to see Holmgren do what he does. “But to compare that and juxtapose that to Chet Holmgren doing nothing offensively, nothing offensively, it’s like, damn, you got to accept that challenge,” Smith added. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama dominated in crunch time. In the two overtime periods, Wemby closed the deal by scoring 14 points while making five or six shots.

“You can’t have Alex Caruso. It’s one thing to guard him on the perimeter. I get that. You get up under him. You try to make it uncomfortable. Try to take his legs out from under him and make sure he don’t get comfortably set to launch a J,” Smith pointed out. Anything near the paint becomes a mismatch if guys like Alex Caruso or Jalen Williams are trying to defend him.  “That’s supposed to be Chet Holmgren. Going like, ‘Coach, I got this. I got this assignment.’ That’s supposed to be instinct, ‘I got this assignment.’ It can’t be cats a foot shorter than him trying to guard him in the post.”

Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith used street basketball examples like Rucker Park and West Fourth to explain an obvious mismatch. When a much smaller defender guards a bigger player in the post, everyone instantly notices the problem. So, naturally, teammates would demand a defensive switch. Therefore, he said, “And who’s that person? The person closest to their size. Where the hell is Chet Holmgren? Where is he? I mean, you’re 7’1″. You’re 7’1″. It ain’t like you’re 6’5″ and he’s a foot taller than you. You’re letting guys guard that man.”

At the same time, the veteran analyst praised coach Mark Daigneault for his leadership and championship pedigree. However, he argued that great NBA players usually take personal responsibility in key moments. According to Smith, when a dominant player like Victor Wembanyama starts causing problems against someone of similar size, veteran stars instinctively step up and demand the assignment themselves. Therefore, he questioned why nobody took charge defensively during that stretch.

Kendrick Perkins also called out Chet Holmgren for steering clear of Victor Wembanyama

What looked like a thrilling battle between two elite seven-foot stars quickly became a domination by Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs phenom exploded for 41 points and 24 rebounds on Monday night. Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren struggled to keep up and finished with just eight points and eight rebounds. As a result, the highly anticipated matchup never truly became competitive.

And according to Kendrick Perkins, the Oklahoma City Thunder need a far stronger showing from Holmgren if they hope to contain Wemby moving forward. “I saw him ducking smoke tonight,” Big Perk said. “I saw him guarding other people on the perimeter; I didn’t see him too much one-on-one action guarding Wemby. And he knows that beef has been around since their high school days. In order for them to even stand a chance, Chet Holmgren is gonna have to take this personally, especially on the defensive side of the basketball. He’s gonna have to show why he finished as one of the top guys for the Defensive Player of the Year. Tonight, he’s gonna have a hard time getting sleep.”

Now, looking back, the Victor Wembanyama-Chet Holmgren rivalry has been simmering since the 2021 FIBA U-19 World Cup final, where Team USA grabbed gold, and Holmgren claimed MVP honors. However, the NBA script keeps tilting toward Wembanyama. After beating Holmgren for the 2024 Rookie of the Year and 2026 Defensive Player of the Year awards, the Spurs star erupted again Monday night. As a result, he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players with 40+ points and 20+ rebounds in a Conference Finals debut.

So, Victor Wembanyama walked into Oklahoma City and exposed every crack the Thunder tried to hide. Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren never answered the moment fans and analysts expected him to own. Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins both saw the same problem. The Thunder lacked force, urgency, and accountability around the rim. Now, the rivalry feels far more personal, and Oklahoma City suddenly faces pressure it cannot ignore anymore.