Chet Holmgren just got a blunt reality check about how Wemby really feels about him

Chet Holmgren's impressive regular season and strong first two rounds of the NBA playoffs haven't been replicated through two games against the San Antonio Spurs. After averaging 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds against Victor Wembanyama and company, the Oklahoma City Thunder big man got a message he probably wasn't expecting heading into Game 3.

With the Western Conference Finals tied 1-1 and the Thunder needing their big man to step up against Wemby, one former NBA big man-turned analyst delivered a blunt reality check for Holmgren. Specifically, ESPN's Kendrick Perkins gave a blunt assessment of how Wemby feels about Chet and offered some advice in the process.

The message was simple: Wembanyama doesn't just want to beat you, he genuinely can't stand you. Now the question is whether Holmgren uses Perkins' comments on First Take as fuel.

"Hey, Chet Holmgren, if you're watching, Wemby hates you. … I need you to bring that same type of energy," Perkins said.

"Hey, Chet Holmgren, if you're watching, Wemby hates you. ... I need you to bring that same type of energy."@KendrickPerkins sends a message to Chet Holmgren 👀 pic.twitter.com/hlWuq2UUly— First Take (@FirstTake) May 21, 2026

Chet Holmgren's struggles vs. Victor Wembanyama and Spurs are noteworthy

While the history of Chet and Wemby's rivalry goes back many years to when the duo squared off in the U19 World Cup final, it's been a common talking point since they entered the league. Dating back to 2023, in the last 10 matchups, Holmgren has posted numbers significantly worse than his typical yearly averages.

Over that 10-game span, Holmgren averages 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. In comparison, the Thunder big man posted marks of 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game over 69 games this season.

Victor Wembanyama's stats vs. Chet Holmgren headlined by two dominant performances

When evaluating the same 10-game head-to-head stretch, we've seen Wembanyama post impressive averages of 19.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. The differences have been even more eye-opening through two games of the Spurs-Thunder Western Conference Finals matchup. Wembanyama has averaged 31.0 points, 20.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks, including a stellar 41-point, 24-rebound Game 1 performance.

Holmgren's struggles have been under a microscope in this series, as he's averaged 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. He also saw a decline in playing time during Game 2, logging 27 minutes and pulling down just four rebounds.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Kendrick Perkins told Chet Holmgren exactly how Wemby feels about him