Victor Wembanyama came off the bench for the first time in his career on Saturday night vs. the Thunder to make his return to the court after nearly a month of dealing with a calf strain. This Spurs’ decision worked in the long run as Wembanyama’s 22 points and nine rebounds helped the team hand Oklahoma City just its second loss of the season at 111–109. With the loss, the Thunder were eliminated from the NBA Cup, while the Spurs get to advance to the finals.

Wemby was very quotable after the upset, but there was one line he said to media that seemingly took a shot at the Thunder. OKC has been criticized this season for playing “unethically” by drawing a lot of fouls but not committing as many. Even though Wembanyama doesn’t name the Thunder specifically in his response, this sentence could definitely be taken as a shot to his opponent.

“I’m just glad to be part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful—pure and ethical basketball,” he said.

This wasn’t the only comment Wembanyama has made recently to spark some tension between him and the Thunder. In a pre-recorded interview with Amazon Prime Video before Saturday night’s game, Wembanyama seemingly was dismissive towards Chet Holmgren, who he is often considered a rival of, by only naming reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a threat on OKC.

Former Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki didn’t appreciate Wembanyama’s comment, and even called him “dismissive” towards Holmgren. There seems to be a budding rivalry between the Spurs and Thunder at this rate.

Wembanyama’s feeling confident about the Spurs’ play in general after the win, alluding to the fact that San Antonio is ready for a big moment in the franchise, while some other teams struggle under the success and pressure.

“Some people are built for this moment and some aren't. We definitely are, and it shows.”

The Spurs moved to 18–7 on the season with Saturday’s win. They’ll be a fun team to watch the rest of the season. You never know what Wembanyama will say next.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Victor Wembanyama Seemingly Takes Dig at Thunder After Spurs Upset OKC in NBA Cup.

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