Dirk Nowitzki Gets Flamed as “Soft” for Criticizing Victor Wembanyama’s Passive-Aggressive Dig at Chet Holmgren 

Former NBA guard Rashad McCants called out Dirk Nowitzki for being “soft” after the Dallas Mavericks legend criticized Victor Wembanyama for his comments toward Chet Holmgren.

As skilled big men from consecutive draft classes, Wembanyama and Holmgren have been pitted against each other since the start of their young NBA careers. Ahead of the OKC Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs game on Saturday, Wembanyama was asked about matching up with Holmgren.

The Spurs center deflected the question, instead saying that the team will be focused on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Nowitzki didn’t appreciate Wembanyama’s comment and said the following:

“I didn't love (Wembanyama's) answer about Chet. I wish he had given him a little credit. To me it's too swaggy, too dismissive."

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Rashad McCants took issue with Nowitzki’s views and reacted on X, calling the NBA champion and Chet Holmgren soft.

“I don’t like @swish41 either! Talking about say it this way, say it that way…. Chet soft,” McCants wrote. “Just like you!”

Nowitzki has yet to reply to the former NBA guard’s comment. McCants was in the league for four seasons, playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings. He played 249 games, averaging 10.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

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Victor Wembanyama plans to join Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant with long-term ambitions

In a business as volatile as the NBA, players never know which team they will be playing for in the future. With this in mind, most players are often looking to grab the most financially lucrative deals, even if it means leaving the team that drafted them.

But Victor Wembanyama has a different ambition and wishes to spend the rest of his career in San Antonio. He expressed the same while speaking to French publication L'Équipe in July:

"I know that not every player in the NBA has the same ambitions, but it's obviously my dream to spend my entire career with a single franchise. Here. In San Antonio."

If he gets to do so, Wembanyama will join Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan, some of the most notable players who also spent their entire careers with one team.

Victor Wembanyama is averaging 25.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.5 blocks per game in his third season. With the way he's developing and his immense upside as a talent, it is unlikely that the Spurs will let him go.

Edited by Sameer Khan