Chet Holmgren looked just as nervous during a Game 7 postgame interview as he did on the court on Saturday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star started the Western Conference Finals finale against the San Antonio Spurs with a jumper to score his team’s first two points. It was all downhill from there for Holmgren, who would not score a single basket the rest of the way in a 111-103 loss for the defending champions.
After the game, a reporter asked Holmgren about Wembanyama getting into his head during the series. A somber Holmgren responded with about as much confidence as an undersized kid confronting the school bully twice his size.
“At the end of the day, it’s always about us trying to win the basketball game,” Holmgren said during the locker room interview. “Us as a collective — the Thunder team trying to win the basketball game. That’s what it’s always going to be.”
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/UPgqYGxLgd
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) May 31, 2026
At the very least, Holmgren deserves credit for actually facing the media after Game 7. After the Spurs lost in Game 5, Wembanyama ditched his media duties and received a warning from the NBA because of it.
Holmgren’s longtime rivalry with the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama was one of the most prominent narratives of the series.
Wemby emphatically got the better of Chet throughout the seven games, and particularly in Game 7. The French phenom led his team in scoring (22) and rebounding (7) in Game 7, while Holmgren finished with four points and four rebounds on 1/2 shooting. Holmgren even got benched during a crucial stretch of the contest.
Watching Holmgren shrink in the face of adversity against Wembanyama was a worrisome sight for Thunder supporters, especially considering the West may run through San Antonio each year for the foreseeable future.
The Thunder signed Holmgren to a $240 million rookie max extension last July that kicks in next year. At least for one series, Holmgren did not look like he was worth even half that money.
The OKC star enters the offseason with the most left to prove.
