By Joel Lorenzi and Jared Weiss | The Athletic, 2026-01-14 12:00:01
俄克拉荷马城——当被问及成为反派的迹象时，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 一时也想不出所以然。就在几小时前，这位马刺队的明星球员还带着一本奇幻小说走进球馆。他对反派艺术以及外界对他们的看法颇有研究。
如果他真在佩科姆中心 (Paycom Center) 成为了一个反派，他自己肯定会有所察觉。当他试图回避“是否感觉自己像个反派”这个问题时，在雷霆队以119-98战胜马刺队的赛后，他犹豫了。他无法直接否认。在绞尽脑汁寻找线索后，他终于找到了。
“我听到了一声‘去你的’，”文班亚马轻笑着说。“就一声，你懂我意思吧？我觉得这很有体育精神。”
文班亚马在真正响亮的嘘声中登场。那不是零星的嘲讽，而是在这座向来不以嘘声闻名的球馆里，响彻全场的嘘声合唱。
能引来这种待遇的，要么是像卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić) 那样擅长羞辱对手的人，要么是被视为恶棍的球员，比如凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)、帕特里克·贝弗利 (Patrick Beverley) 或德雷蒙德·格林 (Draymond Green)。这需要历史积怨。难道这里的球迷认为，文班亚马已经在这些年轻球队之间创造了足够的恩怨历史吗？两周内的三场胜利，以及一次关于“道德”的争议，其刺痛程度足以让他成为一个值得被嘘的威胁吗？
但或许他就是那个反派，或许这真是一段宿敌对决。虽然当事者们似乎都未曾承认，但迹象已经显现。
“我不记得上一次有哪支球队在常规赛里三次击败我们了，”雷霆队球星谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 说道，他本场比赛贡献了34分、5次助攻和4次盖帽。“所以这感觉有点不同，对我们来说有点奇怪。但无论如何，你必须从中学习和成长，而这支球队用连续三次击败我们的方式，迫使我们做到了这一点。”
宿敌对决本就应该让每个人都感到不自在。那种逐渐累积的蔑视源于不确定性，源于双方都坚信自己能赢。那些植根于鄙夷的对决无法持久，只有随着时间的推移，持久而真诚的竞争才会产生摩擦的瞬间，从而赋予一段宿敌关系其鲜明的棱角。
经过四场比赛，我们已经嗅到了一丝火药味。但最重要的是，在俄克拉荷马城雷霆的卫冕之路上，这已然成为了一道障碍。在遇到圣安东尼奥之前，他们的卫冕之旅如梦似幻，一帆风顺。
“没人喜欢那种感觉，”吉尔杰斯-亚历山大回顾起圣诞大战主场失利的苦涩时说。“如果你不喜欢那种感觉，你就得做点什么来改变它。我认为我们采取了必要的措施。”
这两支球队——卫冕冠军和进步神速的宠儿——对细节和消耗战的要求一丝不苟。他们互相促进，共同进步与思考。他们需要比面对大多数其他球队时进行更久、更深入的头脑风暴，尤其是对俄克拉荷马城而言。
文班亚马迫使对手球队时刻留意他在场上的位置。大多数球队对此无能为力，除了试图将他挤出自己的位置。周二，雷霆队找到了几种解决方案，不仅限制了他的效率，甚至还暴露了他的弱点。
当文班亚马在防守端游弋时，雷霆后卫亚历克斯·卡鲁索 (Alex Caruso) 找到了在弱侧空间攻击这位马刺中锋的方法。雷霆在下半场利用了文班亚马在弱侧的站位，打出了一波22-7的攻击波，一举拉开了比分。
雷霆侧翼杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams) 在手腕伤势复出后状态逐渐回暖，他无畏地冲击着文班亚马的防守区域。尽管尚未恢复到过去那样在篮筐上空引爆进攻，但威廉姆斯当晚在油漆区12投9中，在没有尝试任何三分球的情况下得到20分。雷霆队围绕着这位法国人的臂展辗转腾挪，在油漆区内的出手次数仅比圣安东尼奥少一次，命中率却超过了68%。
在进攻端，卡鲁索表示文班亚马的身高臂展显然是个大问题，因为只要他进入站立摸高范围——考虑到他漫画般的身材，大约是10英尺远——他就能直接完成扣篮。但卡鲁索也指出，文班亚马总体上仍然“非常稚嫩”。
“但他不像扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo)、约基奇 (Jokic)、申京 (Şengün) 那样强壮，甚至连凯文·杜兰特都能在找到自己的位置时保持平衡，”卡鲁索说。“（文班亚马）在某些接球点以及他的步法上，是会受到影响的。所以这是你必须利用的地方。”
雷霆队似乎在赌文班亚马会过度相信自己的能力。俄克拉荷马城似乎揭示了——甚至可以说是依赖于——这样一种理念：一个独一无二的球员会去尝试只有他才能完成的机会，会试图封盖那些弧度远超普通7英尺球员防守范围的投篮，因为只有他能够到；他会抓住单打机会，因为他能像无人能及那样在防守者头顶投篮，或者仅用两次运球就能到达一个可以像《空中大灌篮》里的迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan) 那样伸展身体的位置。
在周二晚雷霆获胜的比赛中，维克托·文班亚马和切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren) 再度交锋。(Joshua Gateley / Getty Images)
雷霆队似乎乐于让文班亚马单挑切特·霍姆格伦，或者让他对位肯里奇·威廉姆斯 (Kenrich Williams) 时辗转腾挪。一度，他的接球点几乎全在高位肘区，在那里他被逼进了凯文·加内特 (Kevin Garnett) 的进攻区域。
文班亚马拥有令人难以置信的能力，能将自己的身体延展到进攻中，身边还有三位能干的后卫（德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 和迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 周二合计得到中规中矩的46分），他构成的威胁值得雷霆队进行批判性思考。这是一场棋局博弈，预示着一些充满争议的对决正在酝酿之中。
“我觉得，我们越是谈论它，越是想强行制造一个宿敌关系……这真的是宿敌吗？”威廉姆斯说。“如果你非要问，那可能就还算不上。你根本不用去猜，比如，以前的湖人和凯尔特人是不是宿敌，或者活塞和公牛是不是宿敌，因为你一看就知道。”
威廉姆斯将关于宿敌关系的评价留给了媒体。每支球队都在向他们发起冲击。他们是卫冕冠军。对他而言，对手的动力似乎都大同小异。
“但我得说，”威廉姆斯补充道，“这支球队迫使我们必须打满48分钟全神贯注的篮球。整个赛季和他们交手非常有趣，因为你能感觉到我们在让他们变得更好，他们也在整个赛季的交锋中让我们变得更好。”
收起那些陈词滥调吧。双方的紧张关系已无需遮掩和等待。就在整整一个月前，雷霆还在王朝的水域中航行，直到圣安东尼奥以一个 достойного对手的姿态崛起，胆大妄为地打乱了他们的节奏。
文班亚马的马刺率先走出了几步棋。而吉尔杰斯-亚历山大和雷霆则终于守住了他们的国王。
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Thunder end drought against Wemby and the Spurs while dismissing any rivalry talk
Thunder end drought against Wemby and the Spurs while dismissing any rivalry talk
OKLAHOMA CITY — Picking his brain for the telltale signs of a villain, not much came to Victor Wembanyama’s mind. The Spurs star carried a fantasy novel into the arena with him just a few hours earlier. He is well studied on the art of villains and the outside world’s perspective on them.
He would certainly have an inkling if he truly was one inside the Paycom Center. As he tried to shoot down the question of whether he felt it after the Thunder’s 119-98 win over the Spurs Tuesday, he stumbled. He couldn’t do it. After racking his brain for a clue, he finally found it.
“I heard one f— you,” Wembanyama said with a quick chuckle. “It was just one, you know what I mean? I think it was good sport.”
Wembanyama checked in to the roar of real boos. Not spotted jeers. A resounding chorus of building-wide booing inside an arena not known to have the heart to hiss at many.
It takes someone who deals in disrespect, like Luka Dončić. Or a player perceived as vile, like Kevin Durant or Patrick Beverley or Draymond Green. History. Dare this crowd suggest that Wembanyama already created enough history between these youthful teams? That three wins in two weeks, and an evocation of “ethics,” sting enough to consider him a boo-worthy threat?
But maybe he is the villain. Maybe this is a rivalry. Nobody involved seemed committed to it. But the signs are there.
“I can’t remember the last time a team beat us three times in our own regular season,” said Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 34 points, five assists and four blocks. “So it was a little bit of a different feeling, little odd for us. But nonetheless, you got to be able to learn and to grow, and this team kind of forced us to do that (by) beating us three times in a row.”
Rivalries are meant to make everyone feel uncomfortable. The contempt that builds comes from a place of uncertainty, a genuine belief that either team can win. The ones rooted in disdain don’t hold. Prolonged, genuine competition over time yields the moments of friction that give a rivalry its rough edges.
After four games, there’s been a dose of that. But above all else, it’s served as an obstacle in Oklahoma City’s title defense, fantastical and unscathed before encountering San Antonio.
“Nobody likes the feeling,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, harkening back to the bitterness of the Thunder’s home loss on Christmas. “If you don’t like the feeling, you got to do something about it. I think we took the necessary steps.”
It’s meticulous, the level of detail and attrition demanded of these squads, the defending champs and the ahead-of-schedule darlings. Both are pushing each other to improve and to think. They need to brainstorm longer and harder than for most other teams, especially in Oklahoma City’s case.
Wembanyama forces teams to perpetually think about where he is on the floor. Most don’t have much control over that, beyond just trying to shove him off his spot. The Thunder found several solutions Tuesday that didn’t just limit his effectiveness, but actually exposed him.
When Wembanyama hovered on defense, Thunder guard Alex Caruso figured out how to attack the Spurs center in space on the weak side. The Thunder exploited Wembanyama’s positioning there in the second half, helping them go on the 22-7 run that opened up the game.
OKC wing Jalen Williams, who’s slowly regained his form since his return from a wrist injury, fearlessly entered Wembanyama’s space. Not yet detonating at the rim the way he used to, Williams still went 9 for 12 in the paint on a 20-point night that included zero attempted 3s. The Thunder, contorting around the Frenchman’s wingspan, shot better than 68 percent inside the paint on just one fewer attempt than San Antonio.
On offense, Caruso said Wembanyama’s length is an issue — obviously — because he’ll just dunk should he enter standing-reach range, approximately 10 feet away given his comic-like frame. But Caruso noted that Wembanyama remains “really raw” overall.
“But he’s not as strong as, like, a Giannis (Antetokounmpo), or a Jokic, a Şengün, a (Kevin Durant) even will get to his spot (and) be on balance,” Caruso said. “(Wembanyama) is influenceable with just certain spots where he catches it and how he has his footwork. So that’s just something you gotta take advantage of.”
The Thunder looked to bet on Wembanyama leaning into his self-belief. Oklahoma City seemingly unveiled — perhaps even depended on — the idea that a 1-of-1 player reaches for opportunities only he can accomplish, attempts to swat shots that arc higher than a normal 7-footer’s orbit because only he can reach them, and seizes 1-on-1 possessions because he can shoot over defenders like no one else, or get to a spot where he can extend like Michael Jordan in “Space Jam” on potentially just two dribbles.
Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren battled again in the Thunder’s win Tuesday night. (Joshua Gateley / Getty Images)
The Thunder seemed content allowing Wembanyama to charge at Chet Holmgren, or let him squirm and pivot against Kenrich Williams. At one point, his catches came almost exclusively at the high elbow, where he’d get pushed into Kevin Garnett territory.
Wembanyama, with an unfathomable ability to elongate into plays with three capable guards flanking him (De’Aaron Fox, Steph Castle and Dylan Harper combined for a modest 46 points Tuesday), poses a threat worthy of OKC’s critical thinking. It’s a chess match that suggests something contentious is brewing.
“I think the more that we talk about it and try and force a rivalry … is it a rivalry?” Williams said. “If you got to ask, it probably ain’t one yet. You don’t really have to guess if, like, the old Lakers and Celtics was a rivalry, or, like, the Pistons and Bulls was a rivalry, because you just know.”
Williams deferring any evaluation about a rivalry to the media. Every team is coming at them. They’re the champs. The opponent’s motivation tends to feel the same to him.
“But I will say,” Williams said, “this team makes us play 48 minutes of basketball to where we got to really pay attention. And it’s extremely fun to play against them throughout the season, because you can feel us making them better and them making us better throughout the course of the season as we’re playing.”
Screw the elevator music. There’s no waiting or dancing around this tension. Exactly one month earlier, the Thunder treaded in dynastic waters until San Antonio rose as a worthy foil, audacious enough to disrupt their flow.
Wembanyama’s Spurs moved the first few pawns. Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder finally defended their king.
By Joel Lorenzi and Jared Weiss, via The Athletic