"When I come back on the court, I think it will be me," Wembanyama said when asked who the best player in the NBA is.

The Hall of Famer has an emotional stake in the San Antonio Spurs, the team he helped win four championships, and this was before the Spurs played the behemoth from Oklahoma City in the semifinals. Let’s just say that, after the fact, that stake has now intensified.

The Thunder obliterated the Phoenix Suns, 138-89, Wednesday, Dec. 10 in their NBA Cup West Quarterfinal game in Oklahoma City. This marked the largest margin of victory — 49 points — in the NBA thus far in the 2025-26 season.

The Spurs gave the Thunder their second loss of the season, after a strong 24-1 start. On Wembanyama's return, he had 22 points, nine rebounds and two blocks off the bench. San Antonio will stay in Las Vegas, Nevada, to face the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday.

As Gilgeous-Alexander alluded to, NBA teams can quickly ascend from rebuilds to contenders. Look at the Thunder. Wasn't that long ago when they were one of the worst teams. But because of the reigning MVP's historic rise, they've been at the top of the league for two years.

As many remember, the Nuggets took the Thunder to seven games in the Western Conference semifinals last postseason, being one of just two teams (the Indiana Pacers) to give them a real challenge on their way to a championship. What did the Nuggets do after that playoff loss? Build a better roster.

SportsLine's model simulated San Antonio vs. Oklahoma City 10,000 times and revealed its 2025 NBA Cup semifinal picks for Saturday