By overthrowing the Thunder on Saturday night in Las Vegas, the Spurs not only validated their ticket to the NBA Cup final. They also and above all sent a message: Victor Wembanyama’s team is ready to compete with the reigning champion, in search of a dynasty.
Oklahoma City simply seemed unbeatable.
Before the match against the Spurs on Saturday, the Thunder had a record of 24 victories in 25 games this season. OKC remained on 16 successes in a row. The reigning NBA champion posted the best net rating (difference between offensive and defensive efficiency, +16.5 points per 100 possessions) in the history of the League. This spoke – rightly – of breaking the record of 73 victories in the regular season, belonging to the 2016 Warriors, or even of achieving the 33 successes in a row of the legendary 1972 Lakers.
During a quarter against San Antonio, this outrageous domination was reflected once again on the floor, the Thunder quickly taking a 12-point lead without even forcing. It was going to be a long evening for the Spurs, destined to become the latest victim of the OKC war machine.
And then Victor Wembanyama came into play.
Wembyama Victoryama, the anti-OKC weapon
+21.
This is the stat that was on everyone’s lips Saturday evening. When Victor Wembanyama was on the court, 21 minutes in total, the Spurs dominated the Thunder by 21 points (-19 when Vic was on the bench). Not only did Wemby dominate after twelve games of absence (22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, decisive in the fourth quarter), but above all he reversed the appearance of a match that the Spurs finally managed to win (111-109).
For the first time in a long time, the Thunder was short of solutions, dominated, when Victor Wembanyama was on the field with his Spurs friends. It seems like only an Alien is capable of bringing down Oklahoma City.
Defensively, Wemby obviously presents a unique challenge through his exceptional deterrent force, which makes access to the circle almost impossible with his 2m24. More than that, his presence allows his teammates to be more aggressive on the opposing ball carrier and the passing lines, the latter knowing full well that Victor can clean up everything behind them. This is called the “Wembanyama effect”. And it hit OKC hard on Saturday.
“Obviously, they have a great defense and a real defensive monster who takes away access to the racket and the rim,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder). “Facing a team that is going to close the paint, you have to be able to move the protectors from the rim out wide, to the perimeter and to the corners, that type of thing. I don’t think we did it well enough. »
Offensively and on the rebound, Victor immediately weighed against a team renowned for its length and physical/athletic strength. Wemby put constant pressure on the Thunder, with 12 free throws attempted and 15 points in the fourth quarter. His aggressiveness, despite a month of absence and some predictable waste (5 ball losses), was one of the keys to Spurs’ comeback.
« He challenges you in a way that doesn’t make any sense. »
WEMBY IS BACK… and the one-of-a-kind superstar faces off against the 24-1 Thunder with an @emirates NBA Cup championship berth at stake! 🏆
Spurs-Thunder | 9pm/et | Prime pic.twitter.com/0VOgNoxNmV
— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2025
At only 21 years old, Victor Wembanyama is already one of the four or five best players on the planet when he is on the pitch. But more than that, it’s a cheat code. A cheat code in the hands of the Spurs, which looks like the perfect weapon to hinder OKC’s current and future domination.
To top it all off, Wemby has that confidence/competitive spirit mix needed to take down a defending champion. Before the Thunder game, he said he would be “the best player in the world” when he returned from injury. During the meeting, Victor trashtalked Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren and Co. without ever looking down. After the victory, he said that “some people are made for these moments, some people aren’t.”
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are.
24 hours later he returned the Thunder 😭 https://t.co/3MLwEPcsFN
— Nico TrashTalk 🏀 (@nicolasmeichel) December 14, 2025
Radiant youth, depth, and ambition
As exceptional as Victor Wembanyama is, challenger OKC remains above all a collective effort. “Victor is the most important piece of the puzzle, but he is not the whole puzzle” perfectly summed up his coach Mitch Johnson on the sidelines of the victory against the Thunder.
The puzzle is also made up of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, respectively selected at number 4 and number 2 during the last two drafts, already excellent and destined to do very good things around Wemby. And then there’s De’Aaron Fox, point guard who reminds everyone of his All-Star level right now. There is Devin Vassell, often in the rumors but crucial against the Thunder on Saturday and the team’s most prolific 3-point shooter. Mention obviously also for the precious veteran Harrison Barnes, for Luke Kornet (very effective replacement for Wemby), the energizer of the bench Keldon Johnson and the sniper Julian Champagnie.
A generational phenomenon, depth, a lot of talent, radiant youth but also experience, in short it looks a lot like the profile of a team capable of competing with the Thunder.
First time we get Wemby/Fox/Harper/Castle together and they beat the “best team of all time”
Yeah, I’m gonna be stupid high on this team
— Gabe (@Hoops_GE) December 14, 2025
In the NBA version of 2025, where the best teams are those which have a real playing identity but also a strong squad to be able to remain solid over 48 minutes, the Spurs seem to have the winning formula. And recent good results without Victor Wembanyama – nine wins in twelve games – show that San Antonio is much more than the Wemby Show.
Spurs executives believe so much in the current version of the team that they seem willing to let the Giannis Antetokounmpo train pass, even if the Freak asks to leave Milwaukee. Given the group’s current rise, and that which logically awaits San Antonio in the future, continuity represents a watchword in this corner of Texas. Developing, progressing, climbing the ladder one after the other, this is the path that the Wemby version of Spurs want to take, instead of upsetting everything through a huge blow on the transfer market. The weekend’s victory against OKC can only strengthen this position.
“This victory shows that we are serious. It shows our maturity. We have a lot of players who can make the difference every night. A lot of people said they (the Thunder) were unbeatable. But we arrive at every match with the same mentality. It shows what type of team we are. » – Stephon Castle
The Thunder have forged their success on an all-time defense, exceptional squad depth (with radiant youth and experience), an MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Star caliber lieutenants (Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren) recovered in the Draft. Spurs appear to be on a similar trajectory, beautifully symbolized by Saturday’s result.
Enough to lay the foundations for a potential rivalry, which could well mark the NBA in the coming years.
The league keeps talking about a Thunder dynasty.
The Spurs just showed they know how dynasties are built.
San Antonio handed Oklahoma City just its second loss of the season, dropping the Thunder to 24–2, and did it by leaning into the same formula that defined their past.… pic.twitter.com/SS2iJt32oC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 14, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander: “A rivalry with Spurs? There are chances »
The theme of a Thunder – Spurs rivalry surrounded Saturday’s game, especially with San Antonio’s victory. As proof of the respect the Spurs have earned, OKC MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander himself said that Wemby’s team could potentially represent an obstacle in his quest for a dynasty.
” Maybe. Yes, there is a good chance (that it will turn into a big rivalry). They are young, really good, very talented and they play the right way. They offer very good basketball. Clearly, this is a possibility. »
Given the intensity, the trashtalking, the stakes and the level of play offered by the two teams in Las Vegas, we had the impression of seeing the first big chapter of a potential rivalry. No one can predict the future, but maybe years from now, when San Antonio and Oklahoma City battle for Western supremacy, we’ll look back and remember this game as the one where it truly began.
Symbolic stat: since the arrival of Victor Wembanyama in the NBA three years ago, and the exceptional rise of OKC at the same time, San Antonio has beaten the Thunder at least once every season. We know of few teams that can say the same. Whether it’s because of his personal history with Chet Holmgren, or simply the desire to beat the best, Wemby likes to go up against the Thunder. This is good, three other confrontations are planned for the coming month, including the big Christmas evening.
Wembanyama’s reaction to Chet Holmgren’s missed free throw 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/5RfadiYfzE
— Prime Video Sport France (@PVSportFR) December 14, 2025
Each performance, each confrontation, and even each slightly spicy statement (notably from Wemby, see ici or To be) has the potential to grow this budding rivalry between San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
Furthermore, in an NBA where building a team is subject to the challenges of aprons, where star associations show their limits and where it is increasingly difficult to stay among the elite, the Spurs and the Thunder are built to last. Thanks to their foundations, the competence of their leaders, and the assets they possess (notably draft picks).
San Antonio vs OKC, Spurs vs Thunder, Wemby vs Shai… A word of advice: prepare stocks of popcorn, because we potentially have enough for years of fierce struggle.
