The OKC Thunder are all set to return to the hardwood, in just two short months, Thunder basketball will be back in our lives, starting with the preseason. The Oklahoma City Thunder will host their annual media day, followed by training camp during the last week of September, paving the way for their preseason slate to get underway on October 9th in the Paycom Center against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Thunder selected Chet Holmgren with the 2nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and he has yet to make his NBA debut after suffering a Lisfranc fracture in August of 2022. Holmgren was poised to be one of the league’s best rookies and was billed as a generational unicorn big man. Fast forward to August of 2023, and a new generational big man has entered the association, Victor Wembanyama, who some tab as the best prospect since LeBron James. Now, their rookie seasons align, and it could possibly spark the league’s next great rivalry.
OKC Thunder preseason slate released, headlined by Victor Wembanyama matching up with Chet Holmgren.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are opening up their preseason slate with a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. If fully healthy, this tilt will give us our first look at Chet Holmgren facing off with Victor Wembanyama. Given the narrative and media hype surrounding these two players, and the trend of each franchise poised to begin a long run of team success, this has the chance to spark the next great rivalry in the NBA.
Pretty fun preseason slate for the Thunder, basketball is back in Paycom on October 9th. The possibly of Victor Wembanyama vs Chet is very exciting even in a preseason game pic.twitter.com/1Shmp2XLKn
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) August 4, 2023
This will be the first of two matchups in as many months for Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama, who will play in the November in-season tournament against each other in Paycom Center. OKC Thunder fans will get the chance to see Wembanyama in Bricktown in both October and November.
The Thunder will also play the Pistons twice in a pair of special games, one being in Lu Dort’s hometown and the other being in the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as part of the Thunder’s plan to continue to grow their fanbase.
The OKC Thunder will also hit the road to take on the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play the Milwaukee Bucks in the Paycom Center on October 17th at 7 p.m. Thunder fans will get a chance to see Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, and Victor Wembanyama this preseason in the state of Oklahoma. For Cunningham, he will play close to his college campus as a former Oklahoma State Cowboy.
Ultimately, this preseason slate shapes up nicely for OKC Thunder fans, both with entertaining matchups and exciting players coming to Oklahoma.