Opening a season against the Thunder can be particularly cruel. Just when opponents think they’ve figured out how to compete with the 2025 National Basketball Association champions, they’re reminded of the many ways they can be proven wrong.
The other day, for instance, the Spurs wound up learning the painful lesson anew. In their season opener, the Thunder brought a unique combination of length, speed, and suffocating defense to walk away with a 116-104 triumph. Needless to say, the result spoke volumes of the continued excellence of the victors as it did about the growing pains of the vanquished.
It certainly didn’t help the Spurs that Victor Wembanyama, touted by not a few quarters as a favorite for the Most Valuable Player award, missed his first 12 shots. If nothing else, his poor outing was a reminder that being seven-foot-something with the skills of a guard does not automatically make basketball easy. He’s supposed to change the geometry of the game with ease; he can shoot over defenders, finish above the rim, and make opponents reconsider their life choices whenever they see him lurking near the basket. That said, even extraordinary players can have ordinary shooting nights.
The Thunder, meanwhile, ran on all cylinders. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company did not need to reinvent themselves to start the season. They defended, moved the ball, attacked mismatches, and made the Spurs work for practically everything. Not surprisingly, the match also had its share of chippiness; the 2026 Western Conference finalists clearly have no love lost for each other.
And then there was Chet Holmgren, who provided another reminder of why the Thunder are so difficult to deal with. He gives them a frontcourt presence who can protect the rim, stretch the floor, and make life uncomfortable for the competition. He’s nowhere near as spectacular as Wembanyama, but he remains an increasingly important part of their cause.
To be sure, pundits may be reading too much into the opening-night performance. Wembanyama will have better shooting outings, the Spurs will have better games, and the Thunder will eventually encounter opponents capable of making them uncomfortable. One contest does not settle a campaign, let alone a rivalry. All the same, it does establish a useful starting point: One side has the skill set to dream big, while the other has already demonstrated what happens when talent is supported by discipline, depth, and a clear understanding of roles.
The Spurs have a potential franchise-defining superstar. The Thunder have a championship-tested team. For now, it is a meaningful difference.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.