Victor Wembanyama-Chet Holmgren beef, explained: How international career started feud between Spurs, Thunder stars

Victor Wembanyama-Chet Holmgren beef, explained: How international career started feud between Spurs, Thunder stars originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the respective faces of the Western Conference's powerhouses, but Wembanyama's biggest Thunder rival is arguably Chet Holmgren.

Like Wembanyama, the Oklahoma City big man was once considered one of the best teenage players in the world and has developed into a crucial piece on a contender. Wembanyama may be the more well-rounded player, but Holmgren has a championship under his belt and a legitimate chance at adding another. Wembanyama, however, beat out Holmgren for Defensive Player of the Year this season.

Here's a closer look at the beef between Wembanyama and Holmgren and how it originated on the international stage. NBA PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NBA scores | NBA playoff schedule | NBA playoff bracket Victor Wembanyama-Chet Holmgren beef The parallels between Wembanyama and Holmgren are hard to ignore, as they were each considered phenoms from a young age, became top-three NBA Draft picks and continue to meet frequently in the paint as defensive anchors of West contenders. That rivalry, however, started all the way back at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, where Wembanyama competed for France at age 17 and Holmgren competed for the United States at 19.

Here are the details. 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup Wembanyama and Holmgren were matched up against one another frequently in the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup title game, which saw the United States narrowly win 83-81 and Holmgren earn the tournament MVP award. Holmgren has 20 months on Wembanyama, which can make a major difference at that age.