The San Antonio Spurs lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night of the 2026-27 NBA season, and after a scuffle between De’Aaron Fox and Chet Holmgren, it’s clear the rivalry between the two top teams in the Western Conference is still alive and well.
During the second quarter, Fox took down Holmgren as the two were battling in the post, which then led to an NBA-style brouhaha that ended with several technical fouls, including a flagrant on the Spurs point guard.
Though the Thunder ended the night with a win, based on Fox’s postgame comments about the tussle between him and Holmgren, it is evident these two sides still don’t like each other after their battles last season.
De’Aaron Fox Disses Chet Holmgren After Scuffle
Speaking to the media after the Spurs’ loss, Fox was blunt about his feelings on the confrontation and subsequent antics that occurred after his foul on Holmgren.
In just one brief comment, Fox proved the Spurs and Thunder still have hate in their hearts for one another.
“[If] somebody grabs you like that and you go flying on the floor like that, you’ve got other problems to worry about,” Fox said. “I didn’t throw him that hard, I promise you.”
While the rivalry between Victor Wembanyama and Holmgren is well-documented, on Tuesday night, it was San Antonio’s starting point guard who started to make things messy, which the other Thunder players were clearly not happy about.
This isn’t the first time these two teams have gotten into it with each other, and it likely won’t be the last.
The Spurs beat the Thunder in seven games during the 2026 Western Conference Finals, and in the first game of the new season, OKC got some slight revenge, but that still didn’t stop the two sides from jawing back and forth both on the court during the contest and after the matchup in press conferences.
What Did The Thunder Have To Say About The Situation?
Speaking after the win about Fox’s move and the subsequent scuffle involving Wembanyama and several other Spurs, the Thunder’s players made it clear how they felt about the situation and defending Holmgren after he was fouled.
“I didn’t really like the play,” Jalen Williams said after the game. “I just ran in there. If anybody’s ever been in a scuffle, there’s really not a lot of thinking to it. It’s just, make sure I have my guys back in there. In NBA scuffles, just grab whoever’s close and just push. Cost me $2,500, though.”
Holmgren himself commented on the moment with Fox and pushes thereafter between the two teams, though not stoking the fire as much as his opponent did.
“I’m going to get up and keep hooping, but I appreciate my teammates having my back,” Holmgren said. “I’m not necessarily sure how exactly we get three techs for reactions to something else. I don’t totally understand that.”
“But at the end of the day, I feel like anything that you’re not willing to reciprocate is an advantage for the other team. So if they want to play physical, we have to match that, and the refs are going to do their job in keeping that within the guidelines.”
Additionally, when it comes to backing his teammate, Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made it clear that defending Holmgren was the right move because the team needs him to have success.
“Chet is an All-NBA talent on both ends of the floor,” he said. “When he’s himself, your team is better. It’s as simple as that. When he’s aggressive, when he’s confident, when he’s out there playing his game, he makes your basketball team better. It’s no coincidence: He played better; we had a good night tonight. The box score doesn’t show everything he does out there. He changes everything for us.”
Clearly, there is still a rivalry between the Spurs and Thunder, and all signs point to that continuing as long as these two teams are constructed how they are.
Opening night was likely just one of many viral moments these two teams will show, and based on Fox’s comments, it’s clear this isn’t the last time chippiness and frustration will boil over between the two top title favorites.
De’Aaron Fox Disses Chet Holmgren, Fuels Rivalry After Spurs-Thunder Game