Victor Wembanyama Seemingly Trolls Jalen Williams with Silver Medalist Shirt After Thunder Star’s Subtle NBA Championship Stage Jab

Victor Wembanyama rolled into the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio with an unmistakable message on his shirt. Conspicuously imprinted on his shirt was a photo of France that competed in the 2024 Olympics. “Silver Medalist” highlighted what he and his compatriots achieved in the event.

The shirt appears to be a response to OKC Thunder star Jalen Williams’ comments on Thursday. After the Spurs’ 117-102 beatdown of the Thunder on Christmas Day, Williams tried to take the loss in stride. When asked about the defeat being on a special date and on a big stage, Williams said that no stage was bigger than the NBA Finals.

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The Thunder won the 2025 NBA championship after beating the heavy underdog Indiana Pacers in seven games. They entered the new season with the swag and mojo worthy of being the defending champions. The Thunder backed up their play by going 24-1 before going into some trouble, particularly with Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs.

In 2024, Wembanyama and his compatriots nearly toppled Team USA for Olympic basketball supremacy. Only Steph Curry’s late-game heroics prevented what might have been an embarrassing loss for the Americans in the championship game.

The seemingly subtle back-and-forth represents a growing rivalry between the Spurs and the Thunder. OKC is 26-2 against the rest of the NBA but has not won a game in three tries against Wemby and Co. San Antonio’s three wins came within a 12-day stretch, proving that Oklahoma City isn’t as invincible as it seems to be.

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Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Williams will play each other twice more

NBA analysts are hoping the Spurs and the Thunder will form a rivalry that will boost the league. Some already see the two as already having that intense two-way slugfest that defines historic rivalries.

Before a potential mouthwatering clash in the playoffs, Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs and Jalen Williams’ OKC Thunder will square off twice more in the regular season.

The Thunder will host the Spurs on Jan. 13 before traveling to Texas for a final showdown. Regardless of what happens in the next two meetings, the Spurs have already won the season series, giving them the crucial tiebreaker.

If the Spurs and the Thunder end with the same record, Victor Wembanyama’s team will have the higher seed.

Edited by Michael Macasero