NBA fans split over “next big rivalry” as Oklahoma City Thunder supporters accuse San Antonio Spurs of copying them

NBA fans were split online after Oklahoma City Thunder supporters accused the San Antonio Spurs of copying their traditions. This reignited the “next big rivalry” chatter ahead of the two teams’ January 13 face off.

What began as a pregame drumroll by the Thunder mascot quickly turned into a debate, with some fans claiming the Spurs had borrowed the celebration, while others argued Oklahoma City was mocking Victor Wembanyama’s recent on-court antics.Victor had introduced a new drumroll celebration style in their last game against the Thunder. It was drumbeats followed by claps from the fans. Now, as the recent clip went viral, right before the Spurs game against the Thunder on January 13, the debate has been reignited.

Fans debate over viral drumroll clip ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder clash against the San Antonio Spurs

Right before the fourth game of the season was about to start between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder, a hilarious incident took place. Rumble the Bison, the official mascot of the Thunder, took a shot at the newly introduced celebration style of the Spurs. As the mascot continued to beat the drum, fans joined in with one clap after every drumbeat. Even the drum had the logo of the Thunder team. Victor Wembanyama laughed off the moment, but it caught everyone’s attention.

Fans started reacting to the viral clip.

One of the fans with the username jbondwagon commented, “This is shaping up to be a generational rivalry.” Another fan with the username VegasCheesehead wrote, “Too bad they can’t beat the Spurs.” A third fan with the username HoodiiBarnes added, “This is what the NBA needed: the next big rivalry.”

Some of the fans even believed that the Spurs copied the Thunder team. OKC has been following the tradition in every home game since 2008. Tappinfool commented, “More like the Spurs copied Thunder. It's been a tradition since 2008.” A fifth fan with the username Braden wrote, “Thunder do that before literally every game, holy casual.” The viral clip has left fans visibly divided over the entire narrative. A fan page named Thunder advisory commented, “First OKC game you ever watched or something?”

How many times have the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder?

In the 2025-2026 season, the San Antonio Spurs have faced the previous year's champions 3 times. In all three games, the Spurs have handed over defeats to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams faced each other for the fourth time on January 13, 2026. Currently, the Thunder team is on a win-loss streak of 33-7 and the Spurs are on a win-loss streak of 27-12.Also Read: “Always proud of you” - Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James salutes Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor