The budding Spurs-Thunder rivalry that could shape the West

Victor Wembanyama shouted As he snatched the ball and turned, he stood on the painted trophy in the lane at T-Mobile Arena.

Spurs lead by three points, Oklahoma City‘S Chet Holmgren The first of a pair of free throws was missed with eight seconds remaining Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals On December 13th, the inevitable punching San AntonioFinal ticket.

Perhaps Vembanyama expressed some personal hostility in that roar. After all, he has one cold competitive relationship The extremely talented, lanky 7-footer first met Holmgren at the 2021 FIBA ​​Under-19 World Cup championship game, where Wembanyama’s French team lost to Team USA.

Regardless of any personal complaints, it was a a victory worth celebrating For Spurs. They had snapped the defending champions’ 16-game winning streak in the most high-stakes game of the Wambayama era, a sign that the young Spurs were already a force, despite no one on the roster having ever played a playoff game in a San Antonio uniform.

keldon johnson A few minutes after the win he queued up Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA” and blasted it in the locker room on his portable speaker. As the Spurs celebrated making the NBA Cup Finals, the Thunder were already looking ahead to their three rematches with San Antonio next month, starting with a home-and-home on Tuesday in San Antonio and Christmas Day.2:30 PM ET, ESPN) in Oklahoma City.

Thunder, who later became the second youngest nba championship team With a 24–1 start to the record, there appears to be a developing dynasty. However, the Spurs have all the ingredients to emerge as a genuine rival: a star-studded young core, geographical proximity, history between the franchises and perhaps a little bad blood.

“Yeah, there’s a good chance,” reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Said about the possibility of a rivalry after the Thunder Cup loss. “They’re young, really good, they’ve got a lot of talent, they play the right way. They play a good brand of basketball.

“I’ve seen that anything can happen in a few years. So, yes, it’s definitely a possibility.”

Gilgeous-Alexander’s comments There was a vague reference to another Texas team that was a longtime rival with the Thunder. dallas mavericks was the last team of eliminate oklahoma city In the playoffs, reaching the NBA Finals by defeating the Thunder in the 2024 West Semifinals – and then, months later, a surprising turn of events Pre-prime, perennial MVP candidate luka doncic,

Rest assured, the Spurs fully intend to build around their trio of top four lottery picks – Wembanyama and guards. stephen castle And dylan harper — for the foreseeable future. This could be this generation’s version tim duncan, tony parker And manu ginobili In San Antonio.

The last time Oklahoma City and San Antonio faced off in the postseason was in 2016 Western Conference Semifinals – The Spurs included young stars Duncan, Parker and Ginobili lamarcus aldridge And kawhi leonardFresh off his first All-Star appearance and second NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. Meanwhile, the Thunder were anchored by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook And steven adams,

OKC would defeat the Spurs in six games, as the Thunder trio scored 80 points in a 113–99 loss in Game 6.

Duncan left the field at Chesapeake Energy Arena (now called the Paycom Center) with confetti in his hair and uncertainty in his heart about continuing his Hall of Fame career. Leaning against a cinder block wall in the visitors’ locker room, a dejected Duncan was asked about his future.

“I’ll get to that after I get out of here and learn more about life,” he said.

Duncan would announce his retirement two months after the loss in Oklahoma City.

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San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Game Highlights

San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Game Highlights

The rivalry between the teams has never lived up to its potential. The Thunder lost in the opening round of the playoffs each of the next four seasons, before missing the postseason the next three years. San Antonio, meanwhile, reached the conference finals the following season, before being eliminated in the opening round the next two seasons, followed by a six-year postseason drought.

The Thunder and Spurs have competed in three postseason series since relocating to Oklahoma City. The Thunder won two (2012 and 2016) against San Antonio, compiling a 10–8 playoff record.

Perhaps now the rivalry is back, or at least in the early stages of development. Castle believes Spurs sent a message with their semi-final win.

“It showed we were serious,” he said. “Whoever has five in the game, it shows our maturity. We have a lot of guys that can do that on any given night. People are saying they were unbeatable. But we come into every game with the same mentality, so I think it shows what kind of team we are.”

A comment by Wembanyama raised eyebrows during his post-game media availability following the cup semi-final, especially as the crowd expected Spurs to be a thorn in the Thunder’s side.

“I’m very happy to be a part of something that’s becoming so beautiful,” Wembanyama said, responding to a question about San Antonio’s success in winning nine of the 12 games he had missed. due to left calf strain Before he returned that night.

Vembanyama paused to think and search for the right words: “Pure and ethical basketball, you know.”

Was that a subtle jab at the Thunder? Was this a sly nod to rumors circulating on social media from opposing fans who complain that Gilgeous-Alexander gets too many foul calls while Oklahoma City gets away with football-style physicality on defense? What exactly did Vembanyama mean by the phrase “pure and ethical basketball”?

It was such a curiosity that the first two questions of his next media availability, held two days before practice, were versions of that inquiry in French and English.

“Basically, my answer would just be that in modern basketball we see a lot of brands of basketball that don’t provide much variety in terms of threats to opponents,” Vembanyama said. “A lot of isolation ball. Sometimes forced basketball.”

“We try to offer a brand of basketball that can sometimes be described as more old school, the Spurs way. In my opinion, it’s more tactically correct basketball.”

That response didn’t disappoint Oklahoma City. When asked if the Spurs believed there was a rivalry with the Thunder, Wembanyama also struck a respectful tone.

“I think we’re not there yet, but it’s a good sign that people see it’s possible because it’s not like we’re second seed right now,” he said. “I don’t think anyone can claim to compete with them in the league right now. They are at their own level.

“But in the future if we can provide such a good platform and we can reach that level, then of course it would be great to have rivalries because if you are at the top and you have rivalries, it means you are in the best position to win titles. I am very interested in that.”