Inside The Spurs

LeBron vs. Victor Wembanyama? Spurs on Christmas Now Makes Sense

After years of missing out of the Christmas Day NBA slate, the Spurs could once again be in the mix with Victor Wembanyama.

Matt Guzman

LeBron vs. Victor Wembanyama? Spurs on Christmas Now Makes Sense
LeBron vs. Victor Wembanyama? Spurs on Christmas Now Makes Sense /
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Besides the playoffs in the latter months of spring, there arguably isn't any better time of the NBA season than Christmas Day. 

Marquee matchups fill up the entire day's slate, typically including teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics, among other squads with All-Star players. Other teams like the Dallas Mavericks have made the cut, too, over the last few seasons, having "earned" the right to do so after Luka Doncic's arrival helped them enter and remain in the Western Conference conversation. 

So, the Mavs earned their way into the Dec. 25 line up. The Lakers and Celtics are both shoe-ins, as Boston and Los Angeles are both huge markets playing host to storied franchises dating back to the 50s ... not to mention one of them has LeBron James on its roster. 

But what about other teams? Those without stars or without championships? 

The San Antonio Spurs fall in the former category. Of course, Gregg Popovich has seen five titles during his time in San Antonio, but ever since Tim Duncan retired in 2016, there has been a significant lack of stand-out talent on the Spurs' roster. 

Dejounte Murray is San Antonio's most recent All-Star selection, followed by LaMarcus Aldridge in back-to-back seasons from 2017-2019. Kawhi Leonard earned an All-Star nod with the Spurs before that, but despite sending one or two players to the league's February festivities the last couple of seasons, it hasn't been enough for San Antonio to crack the Holiday rotation. This season, however, that could change.

With the arrival of No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs are once again returning to NBA relevancy. That doesn't make them instant title contenders, and Wembanyama isn't even a lock for Rookie of the Year, but he will certainly be among the finalists.

More than awards, however, the 7-4 forward brings to San Antonio something that it hasn't experienced in quite a while: attention. It's a simple thing, but in a fan-driven NBA, it goes a long way. This season, the Spurs will start to see Wembanyama's effects off of the basketball court, and one of them could mean a game on Christmas Day. 

But against who? 

Perhaps the league would give fans a first look at the matchup that many of them are already anticipating: LeBron vs. Wemby. 

Both prospects sit on opposite ends of their respective careers. Wembanyama will be just beginning what the Spurs hope will be a long career, while James is beginning to think about retirement within the next few seasons. Their skillsets aren't comparable on the court, but their pre-league hype surely is. 

Regardless of who wins, fans can expect to see a showdown between two No. 1 picks ... and some impressive social media graphics to hype it up. 

Another matchup the Spurs could find themselves in might be a Texas-based battle, with Popovich and company traveling North to Dallas to face Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Once again, this matchup would feature numerous All-Stars — possibly for both sides — and would give fans in attendance an exciting game regardless of outcome.

San Antonio could even fly to New York to face Julius Randle and the Knicks. It would certainly be a little more out-of-the-way for the Spurs, but taking on New York City on Christmas would be an experience like no other — and fans wouldn't want to miss it, especially with Wembanyama in town.

Ten years ago, Spurs on Christmas wasn't an outlandish thought. In fact, it made a ton of sense. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all on the same team? Of course it'd be a must-see Holiday game. That isn't the case anymore, but it could be. 

That's what Wembanyama being in San Antonio means. What used to be an unrealistic idea is now possible because of the Spurs' rookie, and that goes beyond just being relevant in the West again. It means media attention, fans and more opportunities. 

So, Spurs on Christmas in 2023? It's very possible, and it makes sense. Wembanyama just has to prove why.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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