Analyzing OKC Thunder's Rivalry With Spurs, Mavericks

Who is the Oklahoma City Thunder's biggest rival heading into the 2024-25 NBA season?

Dec 12, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles as Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

In the NBA, rivalries work a bit differently than in other sports or leagues. The way they're sparked, how long they last and just about every dynamic about rivalries is different. Divisions don't mean as much in the NBA as they do in, say, the NFL and conferences are composed of 15 teams apiece.

However, one way rivalries are sparked is through player rivalries. Look at the longest, most well-respected battles in history -- the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers -- two historic franchises, though the rivalry is most notable from Larry Bird and Magic Johnson dominating their era against each other.

For an Oklahoma City Thunder angle -- comparing Russell Westbrook to Damian Lillard certainly added fuel to any battle between the team and the Portland Trail Blazers.

So, now, where do the Thunder stand in the world of rivalries? It's hard to make any hard picks, given the team just returned to contention a season ago. The most obvious choice seems to be the Dallas Mavericks, though. Just a few hours south on I-35, the proximity helps the rivalry. The teams also squared off in the second round in a hard-fought series which the Mavericks won in six games.

On top of proximity and a recent playoff series, the Thunder and Mavericks both have two stars that are constantly compared -- those being Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic. Should the two teams have a little bit more motive heading into their contests, providing a good matchup for viewing purposes, the rivalry might be coming further into fruition. It checks all the boxes -- including the fan engagement -- but the two teams need to square off in more intense games to really bring the rivalry to life.

Next, eyes can be turned to the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. They've got a history of facing off back during the Westbrook and Kevin Durant era, and there's a star player on both sides adding fuel to the fire. Thunder center Chet Holmgren and Spurs center Victor Wembanyama aren't the biggest fans of each other, and constantly being compared by the media while competing with each other for awards adds another layer to the storyline between the two teams.

Sure, the Spurs returning the relevancy would help the two truly spark a rivalry, as a playoff series could do plenty for the matchup. Still, the two unicorn centers provide enough theatrics to consider the two sides rivals.

An honorable mention can be thrown to the Houston Rockets, though mostly because the fanbases on both sides truthfully don't like each other. There's not a notable player matchup between the two sides, but fans certainly get up for that game on a random Wednesday night in November.

With Oklahoma being north of the Lone Star State, having legitimate rivalries fueled by player comparisons and hard-fought matchups both in the regular season and playoffs is good for the franchise and -- ultimately -- good for the league.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.