With the NBA Cup finals spot on the line, the San Antonio Spurs versus the OKC Thunder became a thriller. However, Victor Wembanyama’s return from a calf injury after missing 12 games became the talking point. Unfortunately, it was not because he delivered 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists in just 21 minutes in the 111-109 win, but his subtle dig at his opponent, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“I’m just glad to be a part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful and so pure and ethical basketball,” Wembanyama said after the game, taking a jab at SGA and Co.

Now, the reigning champions of the NBA are a physical team. However, Wembanyama blatantly calling them out for fouling got everyone’s attention. And he didn’t call out everyone, but the Thunder point guard, SGA, who is usually accused of foul baiting.

Case in point: OKC’s 132-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks, where he shot 11 of 12 from the charity stripe that tipped the game in the Thunder’s favor. Interestingly, this was over 48% of the entire OKC’s 28 free throw attempts.

In fact, he led the league last season with 601 free throw attempts. This year, he has already had 242 trips to the line so far. His usual charm, though, was missing in the NBA Cup semifinals.

The reigning league MVP only had four trips to the free-throw line, sinking all. He ended the night with 29 points, shooting 12 of 23 from the field.

Flipping the script was Wembanyama.

Coming off the bench, he went 9 of 12 from the free-throw line. Overall, the Spurs got 32 chances on the charity stripe while OKC only got 27. But if we look at it, the Frenchman isn’t alone who has made such claims on SGA.

“Shai is a great foul creator,” NBA legend Steve Nash said before the game. “They [Thunder] are very efficient at playing the referees as well.”

Moreover, Wemby even got a shout-out for his bold take. However, even though the Spurs star center refrained from taking names, the NBA world was quick to react, and it’s safe to say that several of them did not like the way he seemingly spoke about the league’s MVP.

NBA fans react to Victor Wembanyama’s indirect take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Although Wembanyama and SGA have been teammates in an All-Star game before and praised each other, playing in the regular season for an NBA Cup Finals spot is obviously business. However, that’s not what Wemby’s take on his opponent felt like to the NBA world.

“Sounds like he’s trying to convince himself because OKC have a ring and he doesn’t….” Well, if we look at the jealousy point of view, despite being a standout player, Wembanyama wasn’t able to push his team for a playoff run last season. On the other hand, SGA was the very reason why the Thunder won their first championship in 46 years. But should this win count for something? Possibly.

Meanwhile, others questioned Wembanyama’s credibility after he himself allegedly overreacted to a push from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “This is the same guy, when Shai barely touched him, he threw himself on the floor to draw a foul 😂😂,” one of them questioned the towering center. The incident occurred late in the game when SGA and Wemby contested for a rebound off a missed free throw.

During the play, Shai slightly touched Wembanyama on his face, after which he fell to the ground, drawing a hard foul. Well, while that did seem to be a rightly called foul, it seems like the fans are not going to let that slide. “Bro flopped when SGA touched him, but ok,” another comment read on X.

“bulletin board material for 24-2 team. Pray for the league,” someone commented. After a handful of losses last season, the Thunder proved what they can do when they have a chip on their shoulder. This time, it’s their repeat year without a doubt. So far, they’ve only lost to Portland by a margin of two points. Even their loss to the Spurs was a one-possession defeat. So, was it really in Wemby’s best interests to pick a fight with the reigning MVP? This was their first matchup this season, with four more coming eventually.

At the same time, one fan thought that the Spurs star’s words did not add up, especially after he lauded SGA just a few days back. “Weird to also say SGA is the best nba player a few days ago,” they wrote. Well, indeed, the Spurs’ big man did suggest that the Thunder point guard was the one whom he and his team would focus on, given that he’s the league’s MVP. That’s respect right there. And what’s a basketball game if there’s no trash talk?

The San Antonio star has for sure initiated a rivalry that might just become one of the biggest fixtures of the upcoming seasons. So, it will be interesting to see how these two teams react when they meet next. In the meantime, the Spurs will try to bring home the NBA Cup on Tuesday as they match up against the New York Knicks.