SAN ANTONIO — Houston Rockets fans and even some of their players really don't like Victor Wembanyama, and the Spurs rookie's spectacular and spiteful performance in his first win made it clear the feeling is mutual.
Heck, Wemby made it clear he didn't like the Rockets before he even knew for sure he'd be a Spur. Who can forget lottery night when Houston came up fourth, and the 19-year-old superstar pumped his fist excited to be going literally anywhere other than one of the league's most dysfunctional franchises? Certainly not Rockets fans, whose tears filled chalices in San Antonio as the city raised a toast to their new cornerstone.
Jabari Smith Jr. could have been the top pick last year, but fell to the Rockets at three. He's a talented young player with loads of potential, which can be said for much of Houston's roster at this point. When he saw the video from lottery night, he tweeted and quickly deleted the notepad emoji in response as if to say, 'I see the disrespect and I'll see you on the court.'
Houston still got fantastic value in the draft picking up Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore who both project to be first-round steals, and adding to recent high draft picks in Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun.
Then they declared that they want to remove themselves from the basement of the league, where they've been dwelling since the departure of a certain spreadsheet superstar. They spent $130 million to bring in NBA champion (and alleged Popovich disrespector) Fred Van Vleet, then spent $86 million to add notorious irritant Dillon Brooks, who famously wore out his welcome in Memphis just last year with antics that included the season-ending hubristic folly of poking the bear that is LeBron James and dousing himself in honey. More on him later.
Houstonians saw Wembanyama as a potential franchise savior before he wound up on their hated rival. Hate is a strong word, but in a sporting context it absolutely applies. If the Mavericks are the Spurs' little brother who they bullied and then eventually grew to respect, the Rockets are the Spurs' little brother who peaked in high school and has been starting fights at Thanksgiving dinner ever since, embarrassing and unpleasant to be around.
Wemby elevates both of those rivalries, but the one with Houston is a bit more fun right now because the teams are at similar points in their development and the dislike between the fans and players is palpable.
Months after the first volley on social media, Jabari Smith Jr. got his first chance to face Wemby on the court and show him who's boss. It didn't quite go like that, though.
Both teams were fighting for their first win, and in a close game Houston had an edge for much of it. Wemby went about changing that in the fourth. He'd already beaten Smith on a eurostep earlier in the game, and he was fresh off an alley-oop dunk when he called for the ball in the post. Smith did his best to defend, but he wasn't prepared for what came next. Nobody was, really.
Wembanyama jabbed toward the baseline, took one dribble away from it, then spun back toward it. The quick change of direction left Smith in the lurch and Wemby launched from the right block. His size and length allowed him to float underneath the hoop all the way to the other side of it, where he crammed a reverse tomahawk on Smith's head and then stared directly into the young man's soul as he flexed and celebrated the big play.
Smith was pissed off. He wanted his get back, and he got his chance. with two minutes left in a tight one he ran the floor in transition and courageously leapt from a great distance with dreams of putting Wemby on a poster. The rookie rose up for an emphatic rejection with his right hand, then got back into the play and swatted the second chance slam attempt with his left, sucking the life out of a Houston bench that was ready to explode just a few seconds earlier.
Down a bucket in the final minute, Wembanyama called for the ball in the post against Smith again. He quickly backed him down and popped in a shot to send his second NBA game ever into overtime.
Back to Dillon Brooks, who is a perfect personification of what this Rockets team is to the Spurs and their fans. He was booted minutes into his first preseason game this year after striking an opponent in the groin (again) and then called himself Dillon the Villain.
His status as a villain is not in dispute, but he's also a very specific type of villain. He's less Heath Ledger's Joker, more nameless henchman who is way too cocky about snatching an old lady's purse before he gets flattened by the Batmobile.
When asked about Wembanyama, Brooks gave a perfectly Dillon Brooks answer in that it was hilariously dismissive of a far more talented player who immediately embarrassed him on the court at the next opportunity.
"He's tall, that's really it."
*notepad emoji
Early in overtime San Antonio got a baseline out of bounds play. Brooks, foolishly, tried to guard Wembanyama on it. Wemby was hungry for BBQ chicken, with a double portion of disrespect on the side.
The whistle blew and Wemby quickly spun toward the hoop as if he was going up for the lob. Brooks committed to getting in the way, but when Wembanyama planted his foot he didn't launch himself to the rim. He stepped back on the baseline, creating about six feet of space between himself and Brooks who then tried furiously to contest the fadeaway jumper, which swished through the hoop.
Many elements of this play are hilarious in the context of this rivalry and Brooks' comments. First, the 7'4" Wemby used deft skill to shake the guy who said he was just tall. Then there's the fact that he and the inbounder, Tre Jones, had to be on the same page for this to work. If he fakes toward the basket and Jones throws the lob, it's an embarrassing turnover. This was a premeditated homicide, and he had accomplices.
Finally there's the cherry on top of the disrespect sundae. As the ball ripped through the nylon to give the Spurs the lead at the start of overtime, Wembanyama pointed directly at his vanquished foe. He may as well have called him a fool or a clown or a thousand meaner words in all caps.
San Antonio went on to win, the first of many for Wembanyama and a sweet moment for him that's sure to leave sour taste in the mouths of Houstonians on and off the court.
“He's a competitor," Gregg Popovich said after the game. "Of course, he's going to be decisive and do what he thinks he can do to win. But they're all like that. So are the Houston Rockets. That's what these guys do. They're competitive or they wouldn't be where they are.”
"It just proves we got it in us," Wemby said. "Those tough moments, reactions. So, I'm proud of what we did tonight.”
This rejuvenated rivalry should be a source of fun basketball and nasty discourse for years to come, but in both arenas the Spurs and their fans have an unfair advantage.
"We have Victor Wembanyama, and you don't."