Inside The Rockets

Houston Rockets LISTEN: Victor Wembanyama Sparking San Antonio Spurs Rivalry ... Again

The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets' rivalry takes on a new chapter.

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs will forever be linked by history, geography and their franchise's paths.

And with Victor Wembanyama in the fold, a new chapter in their storied rivalry will begin.

The Rockets and Spurs faced off twice in the preseason and have an early matchup in the regular season a week from Friday.

On the latest episode of the "Kiss of Death Podcast," I break down what the rivalry could look like in the coming years.

The genesis of the Rockets' rivalry with Wembanyama stems from NBA Draft Lottery night, when the No. 1 overall pick seemed to be very thrilled when Houston was slated to draft at the No. 4 spot.

It was later revealed that Wembanyama's preferred destination was always San Antonio, given his personal fandom and relationship with former point guard Tony Parker, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer.

While the Spurs have Wembanyama, but the Rockets have an ideal defender for him in 6-10 forward Jabari Smith Jr., who has one of the largest wingspans in the NBA. Wembanyama was held to 3 of 10 shooting in his preseason appearance Wednesday night against the Rockets.

The matchups Wemby and Smith should have over the years will be a key moment for this rivalry.

The preseason was a small tease of what's to come, and if these teams move along the same pace, it could morph into one of the league's best rivalries.

The Rockets and Spurs play each other once again on Friday, Oct. 27. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Frost Bank Center.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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