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By Anne Erickson
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The NBA season is getting an opening-night matchup worthy of the occasion, with two of the Western Conference's biggest contenders meeting right away.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will visit the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 20 at 9:30 p.m. EDT on NBC, giving fans an early look at the teams that battled through an unforgettable seven-game Western Conference Finals series last season.
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There's really no shortage of star power on either side. The matchup between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren should be one of the night's biggest attractions. The two talented 7-footers have already developed an entertaining rivalry, and Wembanyama got the better of Holmgren when the stakes were highest in Game 7 of last season's conference finals. Now, they'll get another chance to go at each other with a new season beginning.
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Oklahoma City will also have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams leading a talented rotation, although there'll be some new faces to watch. Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe are gone, leaving players like Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz with chances to become important parts of the team.
That raises an interesting question heading into opening night: Can the Thunder remain the deepest team in the NBA?
San Antonio has reasons to believe it can challenge that depth. The Spurs feature De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, giving them an incredibly talented group of guards.
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The Spurs aren't stopping there. Tobias Harris joins a talented group of wings, giving San Antonio another strong piece as it looks to build on last season's run.
With both teams expected to be among the NBA's top contenders, this game should feel like much more than a typical season opener.
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