Victor Wembanyama has found another way to stir the pot with the Thunder.
The Spurs star’s latest slight came in a one-on-one interview with Ronnie 2K, when he was asked to build his ideal NBA 2K cover-star lineup from 2017 to the present. Wembanyama left last year’s cover athlete, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, out of the mix.
On its face, it’s the kind of question that leaves room for personal preference. But with Wembanyama’s history of taking shots at Oklahoma City and its players, the omission landed like another jab. Back in December, he hinted that the Thunder’s style of play was neither "pure" nor "ethical," and he also dismissed Chet Holmgren as someone simply benefiting from the reigning MVP drawing defensive attention away.
Instead of Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama named players such as Devin Booker and Damian Lillard, which only added more fuel to the conversation around the Thunder star’s absence.
Fans on X were quick to react to the snub. One user wrote, "this man despises Shai." Another chimed in with, "Shai better than all of them."
The back-and-forth only adds to what is starting to look like one of the league’s most intense active rivalries. Between the off-court chatter and the battles on the floor, including seven matchups in the high-stakes 2026 postseason, the Thunder and Spurs have plenty of history building fast.
Even Thunder guard Cason Wallace has leaned into that framing, saying on a recent episode of Cousins with Vice Carter & Tracy McGrady that the Thunder and Spurs are "absolutely" a rivalry.
With the teams set for a three-game regular-season series, the first meeting arrives in primetime on the league’s October 20 season tip-off.
In Other News...
Thunder May Soon Face A Brutal Choice In The Frontcourt
The Thunder spent part of the draft adding more size, selecting centers Thomas Sorber and Aday Mara to deepen a frontcourt that already has plenty of moving parts. On paper, that gives Oklahoma City more options, more insurance and more flexibility behind its established bigs, but it also nudges the roster closer to a difficult accounting problem the front office has been trying to avoid.
With the NBAs second apron looming over the payroll, the question is no longer just how to build around all that talent, but how to keep the group together without running into the harshest team-building penalties. Oklahoma City has already shown a willingness to make salary-shedding moves, and the next step could force it to decide which part of its frontcourt is most worth preserving. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Face A Tough Nikola Topic Call Sooner Than Anyone Wanted
Nikola Topics future is already circling back into focus in Oklahoma City, even though the Thunder probably would have preferred more time to watch him develop before making any hard calls. The 2024 first-round pick has flashed real promise when available, but his NBA sample remains thin, and the organization is trying to balance patience with the reality of building around a rising core.
The problem for the Thunder is that this is not just a basketball evaluation, it is a timing issue too. Financial constraints and looming extensions for other key players are already shaping the roster picture, which makes every long-range commitment matter a little more, and Topics next contractual checkpoint is going to force the front office to weigh upside against uncertainty sooner than anyone wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Offseason Shakeup Just Reached Another Important Level
The Thunders offseason has already taken a sharp turn, and not just on the roster side. After salary-dump moves sent Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins out in an effort to trim payroll for the 2026-27 season, the organization has also seen a change behind the scenes with its medical and performance staff, a reminder that the ripple effects of cost-cutting can spread well beyond the rotation.
Dr. Tobi Owotomo, who had been with Oklahoma City for two seasons as a physical therapist and athletic trainer, is no longer with the team, according to her LinkedIn profile. The Thunder have since moved on to an unspecified replacement, adding another layer to an offseason that already has the feel of a broader reset rather than a routine roster shuffle. [Read more 🡒]