The future of the NBA is in great hands. All the talk of who’s going to be the face of the league after LeBron James retires and Kevin Durant and Steph Curry call it a career can finally be put to rest. Just look at the Western Conference Finals this year. It’s a game between two of the league’s best young stars and a glimpse into just how promising the future is for the sport. More than that, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama are building a rivalry that will feed NBA fans for decades. 

This series is showing us just how much tougher the Western conference will be. Wemby is still in his rookie contract and Gilgeous-Alexander is due for another massive extension next summer. They’ll both be in the West for some time, meaning this rivalry has a chance to be one of the best in the NBA. 

Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama will be a foundational NBA rivalry

You could argue no other teams in the West are built like Oklahoma City and the San Antonio Spurs. Both teams endured years of struggles to build through the NBA Draft and solidify a core that’s one of the best in the league. Both Wemby and Gilgeous-Alexander are now NBA veterans and carry their respective teams on playoff runs. OKC won a championship last year and has finally faced its stiffest challenge this postseason yet. 

While they don’t match up on each other, the fact that both players aren’t just stars on their teams but two of the best players in the NBA as a whole is what makes this budding rivalry special. Wemby vs. Chet Holmgren was the rivalry forced on us; Gilgeous-Alexander and Wemby is the rivalry we deserve. 

This season alone, Wemby and Gilgeous-Alexander both finished top three in MVP voting—Gilgeous-Alexander won his second-straight MVP. The Spurs and Thunder are the two best teams in the playoffs, regardless of conference, the two best teams in the regular season and have two of the best young stars. 

This is a glimpse into what the next 10-plus years is going to look like. If this series being tied 2-2 is any indication, the NBA is in good hands. 

What makes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama and exciting matchup?

This isn’t just the future of the NBA on display, but these are two really fun players to watch. Put your fandom aside for a minute. Was it not exhilarating watching Wemby go for 41 points and 24 rebounds in the first game of the WCF? OKC hadn’t lost a playoff game all year before Game 1 of the WCF. When star players take over a game like that, it’s hard to not enjoy it. But stars always respond. 

Gilgeous-Alexander did that in the next two games. He scored 30 points in Game 2 and 26 in Game 3. Now the series is tied at two and the next three games (most likely) will set the tone for two of the best teams in the West. Imagine if we didn’t get to see Wemby and Gilgeous-Alexander play each other in the playoffs. Both teams have finally developed into good teams and both should turn into dynasties. Remember those Cleveland Cavs vs. Boston Celtics series for years when LeBron James was in the East? This has that same feel to it. 

First OKC-Spurs playoff series hasn’t disappointed

Wembanyama and Gilgeous-Alexander’s first playoff series against each other is exactly what NBA fans needed. We needed to see two of the best young players in the NBA battling it out in this playoff series. We also needed to see the one player that can challenge Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder haven’t had a test all playoffs until they played the Spurs. The one team that can stop them has one of the hardest players in the NBA to guard. 

Player rivalries aren’t just about having two superstars pitted against each other. It’s about the two best teams featuring the two best players going at it for seven games. This isn’t a series where either team is going to get swept. As long as the two stars are playing, this series won’t disappoint. 

As long as Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama are healthy, this matchup in the future will be a must-watch. 

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