Victor Wembanyama Downplays Spurs-Thunder Rivalry, Says OKC Is In 'Own Tier'

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109 in Saturday's thrilling NBA Cup semifinals, but their star player still believes the team is in catch-up mode when it comes to the reigning champions.

"I think we're not quite there yet," Victor Wembanyama told reporters when discussing a potential rivalry between his Spurs and the Thunder. "It's not like we are the second seed right now.

"They're in their own tier, but in the future, if we reach that level, it would be great to have a rivalry."

OKC won the NBA Finals last season and sits atop the Western Conference standings this season with a stunning 24-2 record. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlines a young and loaded roster that figures to compete for championships for years to come, so Wembanyama is likely correct in believing the Thunder are in their own tier in the current NBA.

But San Antonio is 18-7 and now has the opportunity to win the NBA Cup.

It also has plenty of young talent, including Wembanyama, and figures to be a threat in the Western Conference for the foreseeable future as well.

Spurs-Thunder Full Highlights

01:28

The big man played just 21 minutes and came off the bench as he returned from a calf injury but still stuffed the box score with 22 points and nine rebounds. He was one of four Spurs players to score more than 20 points with Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell also finding their scoring touch.

Next up for San Antonio is a showdown with the New York Knicks in Tuesday's NBA Cup championship game.

But it also won't be long until fans get to see it face the Thunder again with back-to-back games on Dec. 23 and Christmas Day. The two Western Conference foes will meet five times this season, and NBA fans would be in for a treat if it led to a playoff matchup.

If it does, perhaps Wembanyama would then consider it more of a rivalry.