Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama makes for historic WCF

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks down the court beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Victor Wembanyama makes for historic WCF

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated May 18, 2026 4:51 PM ET

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Expected to be a classic battle between rivals Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, the NBA's Western Conference Finals will also be historic, no matter what happens on the court.

Because in addition to being a matchup that pits the defending champions against a team on the rise, most feel will be a contender for years to come, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama going head-to-head takes it to another level.

The 2026 Western Conference Finals will pit the MVP vs. the DPOY

Gilgeous-Alexander, the league MVP for the second year in a row, and Wembanyama, the 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year, will provide the NBA a storyline the league hasn't experienced since 2009. This third-round series marks only the seventh time the MVP's team and the squad led by the Defensive Player of the Year meet in the playoffs.

The last such occurrence took place when LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers fell to Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. It even occurred in the season prior in the 2008 NBA Finals, with Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers losing to Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics.

A series win for the Thunder would be even more historic for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

A return to the NBA Finals for Gilgeous-Alexander would be the first series win for the MVP over the Defensive Player of the Year since 1996 - Michael Jordan furthered the Chicago Bulls' dynasty by defeating Gary Payton and the Seattle SuperSonics.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama going head-to-head is the first time the @Kia NBA MVP and Kia NBA DPOY have matched up in a Conference Finals or later since 2009.

All other instances below:

2009 Conf. Finals: ORL vs. CLE (LeBron James vs. Dwight Howard)
2008… pic.twitter.com/yKVR2b7wRm
— NBA (@NBA) May 18, 2026

And while Wembanyama and the Spurs will surely pose a tough test, the Thunder are entering the series undefeated in the playoffs, even winning three out of their four wins in their sweep of the Lakers with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring fewer than 24 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander improved upon his first MVP season

The Thunder's 27-year-old superstar put up 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists en route to his second league MVP honor. He shot 55.3% from the field, taking his 51.3% mark from his prior season to another level, and 38.6% from three, also a tick higher than in his first MVP season. -

To put Gilgeous-Alexander's season in perspective, he topped Michael Jordan as far as posting the highest field goal metric ever by a shooting guard who averaged 30 or more points per game.

Wembanyama was in the MVP race, too

As for Wembanyama, he dominated on both ends of the floor and finished third in the MVP race. He posted a season with averages of 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks, all while shooting an incredibly efficient 51.2% from the field.

The Western Conference Finals tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday night from Oklahoma City's Paycom Center.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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