This past Saturday was a night to remember for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama made his return to the lineup after missing 12 consecutive games.
San Antonio was in Las Vegas for a neutral-site game vs. the Thunder. Oklahoma City was riding a 16-game win streak heading into that matchup. However, the Spurs gave the Thunder a run for their money on Saturday. It was a closely contested game that saw San Antonio walk away with a 111-109 win. After the game, Victor Wembanyama took a subtle shot at OKC, saying the Spurs want to play “ethical basketball.”
There will be an ongoing rivalry between the Spurs and Thunder for years to come
Victor Wembanyama explains why he said he wants to play “ethical” basketball after beating the Thunder:
“In modern basketball, we see a lot of brands of basketball that don’t offer much variety in dangers they propose to the opponents. Lots of isolation ball and, sometimes, kind… pic.twitter.com/wKdm85UVnu
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) December 15, 2025
At 18-7, the Spurs are fourth in the Western Conference. San Antonio will play in the Emirates Cup Finals on Tuesday night vs. the Knicks. The Spurs earned the right to play in that game after beating the Thunder on Saturday evening. It was just OKC’s second loss of the season. Saturday was an important game for San Antonio. They proved to themselves and the rest of the league that they can compete with OKC.
After the game, Victor Wembanyama commented on how he wants the team to play “ethical basketball.” Speaking with the media on Monday, Wembanyama gave context to that quote. He said teams around the league play a lot of isolation basketball that can feel forced. While he didn’t single out the Thunder, he subtly took a shot at OKC. Wembanyama believes San Antonio said, “It’s tactically more correct basketball, in my opinion.”
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama after upsetting the Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals: “I’m just glad to be part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful — pure and ethical basketball.” pic.twitter.com/AoBAUlTSgs
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 14, 2025
This is not the first time that the Thunder have heard criticism over their style of play. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA MVP in 2024-25. Media members and fans argued that SGA regularly sells fouls. While this is true, it’s not the only aspect of his game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a talented player. Fans love to bring up foul-baiting as a way to diminish his impact on the Thunder.
Victor Wembamyama’s comments were undoubtedly heard throughout OKC’s locker room. They’ll take that into account the next time these two teams meet. In fact, the Spurs and Thunder will play two more times in the next five gams. That includes a matchup on December 23 and on Christmas Day. Are we watching one of the NBA’s next great rivalries develop?
