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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates a play during the third quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, May 30, 2026.<\/p>\n
Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
Victor\u00a0Wembanyama spent his last day off before his fourth NBA season at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, the sprawling theme park practically in the Spurs\u2019 backyard.<\/p>\n
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Unlike most other thrill seekers who passed through the gates Sunday, Wembanyama steered clear of the roller coasters altogether.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI couldn\u2019t pass the height requirement,\u201d the 7-foot-4 Frenchman joked.<\/p>\n
Wembanyama\u2019s amusement park outing offered a fitting metaphor for the ride the Spurs are about to embark upon, beginning with Tuesday\u2019s regular-season opener against archrival Oklahoma City at the Frost Bank Center.<\/p>\n
Wembanyama on taking the crew out to Six Flags for Fright Fest https:\/\/t.co\/79A8i4hG3H<\/p>\n
\u2014 Spurs Nation (@Spurs_Nation) October 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n When the Spurs take the floor for their first meaningful contest since Game 5 of last summer\u2019s ill-fated NBA Finals against New York, they will do so with their sights set sky high.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n And their feet planted firmly on the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we did last year doesn’t matter at this point,\u201d Spurs coach\u00a0Mitch Johnson said. \u201cWe’re all at the bottom of the mountain, all 30 teams trying to start our journey.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE SPURS: Spurs to open season without Tobias Harris<\/a><\/p>\n A year ago, the Spurs headed to Dallas for a season opener with no real way of knowing just how high they might climb.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n At the time, their most pressing ambition was a modest one: end a six-year playoff drought that had stretched to a club-record length.<\/p>\n A 62-win campaign? That felt like a pipe dream.<\/p>\n Beating the defending champion Thunder eight times in a whopping 12 meetings, including seven white-knuckle games of the Western Conference finals? Forget about it.<\/p>\n An NBA Finals berth? Not a chance.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) reacts to a play during the third quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, May 30, 2026.<\/p>\n Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles the ball during the third quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, May 30, 2026.<\/p>\n Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) grabs San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) as the chase after the ball during the third quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, May 30, 2026.<\/p>\n Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News Spurs fans cheer during Game 7 of the Western Conference finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, May 30, 2026.<\/p>\n Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n After accomplishing all of the above last season, and surprising even themselves along the way, the Spurs harbor little doubt now about all that is possible.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know how good we are,\u201d guard Stephon Castle said. \u201cWe know the standard that we have to play at.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got higher expectations for sure,\u201d Wembanyama echoed.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n It is fitting the Spurs\u2019 next journey begins against Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n After all, it was the Thunder who taught the Spurs last season how good they could be.<\/p>\n SPURS VS THUNDER:\u00a0How to watch the game, who’s starting, who’s out<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In the span of 12 head-spinning days of December, the Spurs knocked off Oklahoma City three times, twice by double figures.<\/p>\n Those victories did more than pad the standings. They convinced the Spurs they belonged among the NBA\u2019s upper crust.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter that,\u201d guard Dylan Harper said, \u201ceverybody knew we were serious.\u201d<\/p>\n A Game 7 victory on the road against the Thunder in the Western Conference finals confirmed what those December upsets had suggested. The Spurs were good enough to play for an NBA championship, right now.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Oklahoma City squad that visits the Frost Bank Center on Tuesday will look similar to the one the Spurs dispatched in May.<\/p>\n Oklahoma City shed role players Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe in a round of cost-cutting moves, but the championship core of its 2025 NBA championship team remains largely intact.<\/p>\n Two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back to lead the attack. So is 7-foot-1 forward Chet Holmgren, fresh off an All-NBA season and eager to put his postseason demons behind him.<\/p>\n The Thunder should be an even tougher test than they were in May, with All-Star forward Jalen Williams and sixth man extraordinaire Ajay Mitchell back to full strength after missing portions of the conference finals with injuries.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cFundamentally, we are still the Oklahoma City Thunder,\u201d said\u00a0guard Alex Caruso, whose team was the only one in the NBA to finish the regular season with more wins than the Spurs. \u201cWe want to be the same kind of team and have the same principles and play the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n The Spurs, meanwhile, return their top 10 scorers from last season\u2019s Finals roster. The most notable newcomer, veteran forward Tobias Harris, is\u00a0slated to miss Tuesday\u2019s opener recovering from a left calf strain.<\/a><\/p>\n Steph Castle on what to expect from Thunder https:\/\/t.co\/gAQ06PePTi<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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