Victor Wembanyama’s biggest rival should be Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns. After all, the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals and in the NBA Cup, and the two franchises have long, rich histories.
But most of the time, they only play twice a year. Besides, while Knicks fans might hurl insults at Wembanyama, he seems to generally respect them as opponents.
Instead, Chet Holmgren and the OKC Thunder have emerged as Wemby’s foes. The Frenchman seems to hate Holmgren, mostly because they were billed as equals. As an extension of Holmgren, Wembanyama dislikes the Thunder as a whole. All of his teammates seem on board, too.
Finally, Cooper Flagg seems to be a worthy foe. He, like Wemby, was touted as a can’t-miss, generational player. He was picked first overall to much fanfare, and while the Dallas Mavericks aren’t good yet, Flagg’s ascension is looming.
On top of that, Flagg is expected to be the face of Team USA basketball moving forward, meaning the in-state rivalry can extend to the Olympics. Flagg will team up with 11 other talented Americans, all with the mission of stopping (or at least slowing down) Wembanyama.
Dylan Harper might be asked to step up.
Spurs’ Guard Expected to Rival Victor Wembanyama
In 2028, Los Angeles will host the Olympics, and Erik Spoelstra will assemble a superteam. By then, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James will have aged out, and several players from the 2024 gold medal-winning roster won’t return, for various reasons.
Flagg spent the summer of ’24 playing for the Americans’ Select Team, and was touted as one of the better players on the floor. Then, he was a high schooler. In 2028, he should be one of the best players on the court.
| Player | Position | Likely to Play in 2028? |
| Stephen Curry | G | No |
| Tyrese Haliburton | G | No |
| Derrick White | G | Yes |
| Jrue Holiday | G | No |
| Anthony Edwards | F | Yes |
| Devin Booker | F | Yes |
| LeBron James | F | No |
| Kevin Durant | F | No |
| Jayson Tatum | F | No |
| Bam Adebayo | C | Yes |
| Anthony Davis | C | No |
| Joel Embiid | C | No |
With only four “yeses” returning from 2024, America will have eight spots to fill. Flagg is a lock, and Holmgren, Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Williams, and Paolo Banchero could all get an invite.
In an effort to attack the rim and improve their passing, Dylan Harper could be asked to step up and play for the Red, White, and Blue.
“The No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft showed so much poise and such playoff chops as a rookie that he at least entered the conversation,” claimed ESPN’s Zach Kram. “Who knows how much Harper will improve over the next two years?”
Harper has proven that he is a playoff riser, which is exactly the type of player the United States will need. Guys like Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Duren, and Ja Morant won’t be invited, likely because of their postseason shortcomings.
“Harper was frequently the best playoff guard on the floor for a team that reached the Finals,” Kram added.
Does that make Harper and Wembanyama “rivals?” For a few weeks in the summer, absolutely. Keep in mind, though, that Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan shared the floor for 12 seasons after the Argentinians sent the Americans packing in 2004.
Any animosity won’t last.
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