The budding Spurs-Thunder rivalry that could shape the West

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA SHOUTED as he snatched the ball and flexed, standing on the trophy painted into the lane at T-Mobile Arena.

With the Spurs leading by three points, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren had just missed the first of a pair of free throws with eight seconds remaining in the Emirates NBA Cup semifinal on Dec. 13, essentially punching San Antonio’s ticket to the final.

Perhaps Wembanyama unleashed some personal animosity in that roar. After all, he has had a frosty competitive relationship with Holmgren since the supremely talented, skinny 7-footers first met in the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup championship game, where Wembanyama’s French squad lost to Team USA.

Regardless of any individual grudge, this was a win worth celebrating for the Spurs. They had snapped the defending champions’ 16-game winning streak in the most high-stakes game of the Wembanyama era, an indication the young Spurs were already a force to be reckoned with despite nobody on the roster having ever played a playoff game in a San Antonio uniform.

Keldon Johnson queued up Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA” minutes after the victory and blasted it in the locker room on his portable speaker. As the Spurs celebrated an NBA Cup final berth, the Thunder were already looking forward to their three rematches with San Antonio over the next month, starting with a home-and-home on Tuesday in San Antonio and Christmas Day (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder, which followed up becoming the second-youngest NBA championship team ever with a record-tying 24-1 start, appear to be a developing dynasty. The Spurs, however, have all the elements to emerge as a real rival: a star-studded young core, geographical proximity, history between the franchises and maybe a bit of bad blood.

“Yeah, there’s a good chance,” reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of the prospect of a rivalry after the Thunder’s Cup loss. “They are young, really good, have a lot of talent, play the right way. They play a good brand of basketball.

“I’ve noticed that anything can happen in a couple years. So, yeah, it’s definitely a possibility.”

GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER’S REMARKS were a vague reference to the other Texas team that seemed destined to be longtime rivals with the Thunder. The Dallas Mavericks were the last team to eliminate Oklahoma City in the playoffs, beating the Thunder in the 2024 West semifinals en route to an NBA Finals appearance — and then, months later, shockingly traded 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 Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper — for the foreseeable future. It could be this generation’s version of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in San Antonio.

The last time Oklahoma City and San Antonio faced off in the postseason — in the 2016 Western Conference semifinals — the Spurs featured Duncan, Parker and Ginobili alongside younger stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard, fresh off his first All-Star appearance and second NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. The Thunder, meanwhile, were anchored by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams.

OKC would knock off the Spurs in six games, as the Thunder trio combined for 80 points in a 113-99 rout in Game 6.

Duncan left the floor at Chesapeake Energy Arena (now called Paycom Center) with confetti embedded in his hair and uncertainty in his heart about continuing his Hall of Fame career. Leaning back 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 figure out 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 never lived up to its potential. The Thunder fell in the opening round of the playoffs over the next four seasons, before missing the postseason the next three years. San Antonio, meanwhile, advanced to the conference finals the next season, before suffering elimination in the opening round the next two seasons, followed by a six-year postseason drought.

The Thunder and Spurs have battled it out in three postseason series since the former’s move to Oklahoma City. The Thunder won two (2012 and 2016), posting a 10-8 playoff record against San Antonio.

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

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

A COMMENT BY Wembanyama during his postgame media availability after the Cup semifinal raised eyebrows, particularly from the hordes of folks hopeful the Spurs can become thorns in the Thunder’s side.

“I’m just glad to be a part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful,” Wembanyama said, answering a question about San Antonio’s success in winning nine of the 12 games he had missed due to a left calf strain before his return that night.

Wembanyama paused and contemplated, looking for just the right words: “Pure and ethical basketball, you know.”

Was that a subtle jab at the Thunder? Was it a sly nod to the rampant social media rumbling from opposing fans who whine that Gilgeous-Alexander draws so many fouls calls while Oklahoma City gets away with flexing a football-style physicality on defense? What exactly did Wembanyama mean by the phrase “pure and ethical basketball?”

It was such a subject of intrigue that the first two questions of his next media availability, conducted two days later before practice, were variations of that inquiry in French and English.

“Basically, my answer is simply going to be that in modern basketball we see a lot of brands of basketball that don’t offer much variety in the dangers they pose to the opponents,” Wembanyama said. “Lots of isolation ball. Sometimes kind of forced basketball.

“We try to propose a brand of basketball that can be described as more old-school sometimes, the Spurs’ way, as well. It’s tactically more correct basketball, in my opinion.”

That response sent no shade Oklahoma City’s way. Wembanyama also struck a respectful tone when asked whether the Spurs believed there’s a rivalry brewing with the Thunder.

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

“But in the future if we can provide a stage this good and we reach that level, of course it would be great to have a rivalry because if you’re at the top and you have a rivalry, it means you’re in the best position to win titles. I’m very interested by it.”