Victor Wembanyama found himself right in the middle of a major scuffle against the Thunder in the season opener on Tuesday, and yeah, it was exactly as wild as it sounds. The chippiness between the Spurs and the Thunder in their first game back pretty much screams “modern-day rivalry,” no doubt about it. Things blew up in the second quarter after De’Aaron Fox chucked Chet Holmgren to the floor, and that’s when everyone piled in.
Holmgren Hits the Deck, Wemby Jumps In
Fox’s move on Holmgren instantly earned him a Flagrant 1 foul, and it was the spark that lit the whole powder keg. Thunder teammates immediately swarmed to defend Holmgren. Wembanyama, naturally, was right there in the thick of it all, getting into it with Jaylin Williams. The two were shoving each other, and it took a full-on separation effort to get Wembanyama out of the scrum before everyone calmed down. It was pure chaos for a minute there, a real old-school kind of brouhaha for a season opener.
Early Techs, Future Headaches, and a Brewing Rivalry
When the dust settled, five players ended up with fouls. Besides Fox’s Flagrant 1, four guys picked up technical fouls: Wembanyama for the Spurs, and Jaylin Williams, Jalen Williams, and Kenrich Williams all got hit for the Thunder. Nobody got ejected, which is kind of a miracle considering how heated it got. But for Wemby, that early technical foul is a flashing warning sign. It brings back memories of when he got tossed for elbowing Naz Reid in that playoff series against the Timberwolves last spring. He’s already on the board, and if he racks up 15 more technicals this season, it means an automatic one-game suspension. It might be October, but those kinds of things start to weigh heavy in March or April.
So, yeah, we’re one game in, and the Spurs and Thunder are already showing that this season is going to be spicy. Keep an eye on Wembanyama’s tech foul count, because if he keeps that fire, it could cost him down the line. You know every time these two teams meet now, it’s gonna be a must-watch, edge-of-your-seat kinda game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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