OKC Thunder have rival in Wemby’s upstart Spurs. NBA is better for it.

Story byLorenzo Reyes, USA TODAYFri, December 26, 2025 at 8:34 PM UTC·4 min readThe NBA is best when there are rivalries, the kind when players seemingly hate the thought of even being around the other team. Think Bulls-Pistons, Lakers-Celtics or Heat-Knicks. The Oklahoma City Thunder, the team that dominated the first two months of the season with a 23-1 record, have found their foil in the San Antonio Spurs. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOver the past 13 days, the Spurs — relative upstarts who are probably ahead of schedule on a path to legitimate title contention — have defeated the Thunder three times. The losses have come on a neutral floor (in the NBA Cup semifinal in Las Vegas), on the road in San Antonio and at home in Oklahoma City. And, best thing for hoops fans, is that there’s this apparent disdain simmering underneath it all. Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama has been the primary catalyst behind this. Weeks away from turning 22, Wembanyama’s personality has fully blossomed since the start of this season.