The rivalry between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder is so deeply rooted that it does not take a summer break. That intense regular season, NBA Cup, and Eastern Conference Finals animosity was on full display over the weekend at Wagner High School in San Antonio, Texas, where Spurs starting shooting guard Devin Vassell hosted his annual youth basketball camp.
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During a lively Q&A session with the young campers on Saturday, a young participant stepped up to the microphone to pitch a provocative question: “Who is your LEAST favorite player on OKC?” What a ragebait if there is one.
Hilariously, the 25-year-old guard needed to take a short walk to formulate a reasonably diplomatic response. But the room full of young San Antonio campers already had their unanimous answer, instantly bursting into a collective, spontaneous chant of “SGA!” The scouts and coaches in the room were extremely bemused that the kids had singled out Oklahoma City’s superstar guard and reigning two-time MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
At this point, there was no point in being diplomatic. Feeding off the young fans’ rapid, passionate reaction, Vassell playfully called the camper’s prompt “ragebait” before delivering a definitive verdict.
“It’s all of them,” Vassell told the cheering crowd without hesitation. “We don’t like OKC over here.“
The kids loved that figurative mic drop. And what could be a subtle message to the Spurs’ definitive foes.
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder established themselves as the top two seeds in the Western Conference during the 2025–26 regular season, with the Spurs holding a 4-1 lead. Prominently, Victor Wembanyama returned from a long injury hiatus to route them out of the NBA Cup.
The season-long rivalry culminated in a dramatic seven-game series in the 2026 Western Conference Finals. San Antonio ultimately upset the Thunder’s campaign for a back-to-back title, outlasting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s squad in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals.
Vassell’s playful jab hit home with local fans because of the recent history and escalating bad blood between the two franchises.
During that grueling seven-game Western Conference Finals, Vassell was right at the center of several heated on-court exchanges and physical altercations with Thunder players, cementing the deeply personal nature of the cross-state rivalry.
The starting guard played a pivotal role in San Antonio’s deep postseason run. Coming off a productive 2025–26 regular season, where he averaged 13.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
His steady shooting, especially highlighted by a crucial 12-point, 4-of-7 performance from beyond the arc in Game 6 of the ECF, helped push the Spurs past Oklahoma City’s suffocating defense.
With the NBA officially announcing that the Spurs and Thunder will kick off the 2026–27 regular season against each other on Opening Night in San Antonio, and also Wemby’s recent training upgrade, the rivalry will reignite immediately on the court.
As both young rosters, with the reigning MVP and DPOY, continue to develop into championship favorites in the Western Conference, Vassell’s summer camp exchange proves that the animosity between San Antonio and Oklahoma City is already at playoff intensity.