The San Antonio Spurs are not historical rivals with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they're at the forefront of the NBA's newest premier matchup.
Ask any Spurs fan what game is the most important on the schedule, and they'll all agree: it's all about beating the Thunder.
But it wasn't always that way.
Going back in time, the Spurs had rivalries with the Lakers, Rockets, Suns, and Mavericks. The Mavs and Rockets, of course, were in large part thanks to geography. Phoenix and Los Angeles, meanwhile, were rivals simply because all three teams were good at the same time.
Now that the Western Conference is a two-horse race, the Spurs and Thunder have made their animosity pretty clear. In a recent ranking, it came in second, only behind the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.
Spurs and Thunder Will Run the NBA
Look at some highly touted modern rivalries: Timberwolves and Nuggets. Pacers and Knicks. LeBron and Curry. All of those forces are on different timelines or are in decline.
The Spurs and Thunder are just getting started, and fans can look forward to watching them for the next several years.
"That last series propelled this rivalry to an even greater level, after a regular season in which the Thunder started 24-1 only to drop three games to the Spurs in 13 days," wrote ESPN's Zach Kram.
"Both teams have electric young backcourts, and Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have been fierce rivals ever since they dueled on the international youth scene. This rivalry has a strong case for the No. 1 spot right now, and because both Oklahoma City and San Antonio project to remain among the NBA's title favorites for seasons to come, they're likely to keep adding to that list of memorable playoff series."
It's a shame that the Spurs and Thunder will never meet in the NBA Finals, but it makes the playoffs must-watch TV, even for fans who don't really care who wins. Both teams have pretty clear disdain for the other, and both have MVP candidates leading the way.
Even though the Knicks are the defending champs, the Western Conference Finals are the de facto NBA Finals. Sorry, East-Coasters, but it's true. 2026 was a fluke; the NBA runs through I-35.
