The budding Spurs-Thunder rivalry that could shape the future of the West

Tim MacMahon Close Tim MacMahon ESPN Staff Writer Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009 Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM Michael C. Wright Close Michael C. Wright ESPN Staff Writer Joined ESPN in 2010 Previously covered Bears for ESPN.com Played college football at West Texas A&M Dec 23, 2025, 07:00 AM ET 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...

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