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Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren represent a new archetype - ESPN

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EIGHT MONTHS AGO, late in the evening on Feb. 29, a nine-second sequence played out in what could have been considered a glimpse into the future of the center position in the NBA.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were in town to face the San Antonio Spurs, a marquee matchup between the rookie big men: two of the game's brightest young stars, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.

With 3:29 left in the fourth quarter and the Spurs up six, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman swooped in to contest a layup at the rim, ripped down the rebound, tossed an outlet pass to point guard Tre Jones and trotted 12 strides up the Frost Bank Center floor before getting the ball back.

Get access to exclusive original series, premium articles from our NBA insiders, the full 30 for 30 library and more. Sign up now to unlock everything ESPN+ has to offer. His size 20½ right foot standing on the black paint of the Spurs' midcourt logo, the big man didn't hesitate.

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The rivalry between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren surpassed all expectations last season, giving NBA fans another classic big-man showdown that might just carry the torch from Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. NBA history is loaded with iconic matchups like these, from Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain to Tim Duncan vs. Kevin Garnett. Now, it looks like Wembanyama and Holmgren are ready to add their names to that list.
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