Podcast Summary:

Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective
Episode: "Wemby & Spurs A Legit Contender? Knicks In Elite Category? + Windy's Epic Journey"
Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Brian Windhorst (B)
Panelists: Tim Bontemps (A), Tim MacMahon (C)

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Hoop Collective" covers three central threads:

1. The rapid rise of the San Antonio Spurs with Victor Wembanyama and their budding rivalry with the Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Whether the New York Knicks deserve elite status after strong showings
3. Brian Windhorst's "epic journey" through European basketball and football culture, featuring an inside look at the legendary Belgrade Derby

The discussion is seasoned with the panelists’ trademark banter, NBA insider insights, and memorable storytelling from Windhorst’s European adventure.

Key Sections and Insights

1. The Podcast Joins Omaha Productions (04:00)

• The Hoop Collective announces a new partnership with Omaha Productions (the Manning family's company), promising improved audio/visual quality but the same classic NBA content.

  "Same NBA content, same talking about the NBA. But... we are now a part of Omaha Productions." — Brian Windhorst (04:00)

2. NBA Cup: Spurs-Thunder Rivalry & Wemby’s Impact (05:00–20:00)

Are the Four Best Teams in Vegas?

• Windhorst raises an exec’s comment: Are the four best NBA teams in Vegas (for the NBA Cup)? Both Bontemps and MacMahon disagree, citing Denver, Houston, and particularly the Detroit Pistons as superior contenders.

Spurs-Thunder: A Decade-Long Rivalry in the Making (07:00)

• The hosts call Spurs vs. Thunder "the league's next great rivalry," with immense long-term potential:

  "Spurs, Thunder for the next decade... that’s what we’ve got a chance to have here is a rivalry." — Tim MacMahon (07:08)

• Both teams are lauded for their dominant young cores, and OKC is framed as the likely Western juggernaut, but San Antonio is now staking its claim as a challenger.

Wemby Returns – Spurs’ Defensive Identity (08:40)

• Wembanyama’s postgame quote is discussed:

  "I'm just glad to be part of something that's growing to be so beautiful, so pure and ethical basketball." — Victor Wembanyama (read by Tim Bontemps, 09:40)

  The panel debates whether this was a subtle jab at OKC/Chet Holmgren or simply pride in the Spurs’ style.

• The Spurs' defense isn’t just Wemby; young guards like Stefan Castle and Dylan Harper get significant praise for size and toughness:

  "Victor's not the only reason that the Spurs are an elite defensive team... he's got some dudes with him that are really, really good on that end of the floor." — Tim MacMahon (17:54)

• The physicality, size, and perimeter defense of the Spurs give them a unique identity and make them “a legitimate top-four team in the West,” assuming health.

The Wemby–Chet Rivalry (11:00–12:45)

• Windhorst waxes poetic about witnessing the birth of the Wembanyama–Holmgren rivalry:

  "I viewed going to see the first game between Chet and Victor as a pilgrimage... it is probably one of the most energizing moments I've had in the last 10 years in the NBA." — Brian Windhorst (11:08)

• The actual on-court matchup: Both teams used strategic cross-matching and team defense, with limited Chet-on-Wemby duels, reflecting modern NBA tactics.

Spurs’ Defensive Gameplan Frustrates OKC, Especially SGA (14:23–17:54)

• The Spurs’ perimeter defenders stymied Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch:

  “Spurs perimeter defense not letting Shea get to a shot with 31 or 32 on the clock... was all generated by the Spurs’ perimeter defense.” – Tim Bontemps (15:49)

3. New York Knicks: Are They Elite? (21:00–27:00)

• Knicks receive extensive respect for their balanced, “egalitarian” offense and on-court identity:

  "This was a game that was Division 61... a vision of what Mike Brown wants this offense to be... that's what these guys want." — Tim Bontemps (23:37)

• Jalen Brunson’s MVP-like performance (40 pts v. Magic) is highlighted:

  "When Jalen Brunson is in his bag and on his game like this, they elevate to another level." — Brian Windhorst (25:28)

• The Knicks’ depth, especially with OG Anunoby, Towns, and Brunson healthy, gets emphasized — with some debate whether a team led by a smaller, ball-dominant guard can reach the championship mountaintop:

  "Will Porzingis be good with being the fourth, fifth, sixth option? ...By the time he left, he was probably everybody's favorite teammate in Boston." — Tim MacMahon (42:07, referencing Kristaps Porzingis' time in Boston as a juxtaposition to the Knicks' current chemistry)

4. Cavs & Other Injury Updates (30:00–36:50)

Cleveland Cavaliers’ struggles

• Panel details Cleveland’s injury woes (Mobley, Garland, Allen) and narrow escapes versus bottom-dwellers:

  "The Cavs had a charmed season last year. They're having a lot of injuries this year." — Tim Bontemps (31:52)

• Defensive and offensive drop-off without Mobley, and limits to what trades may realistically accomplish, due to second apron cap restrictions.

Kristaps Porzingis Health Update (39:00–42:47)

• Atlanta’s Porzingis misses multiple games with a recurring illness. The crew commends his evolution from franchise star to elite role player and hopes for his long-term health.

5. Windhorst's Epic European Basketball Adventure (43:00–73:00)

A major, vivid highlight of the episode, Windhorst recounts his whirlwind tour:

• Thursday: Switzerland, Europa League soccer (“a box of sausages” and communal eating traditions)
• Friday–Sunday: Belgrade, Serbia, for the legendary Partizan vs. Red Star “Eternal Derby” in the EuroLeague.

Highlights:

• Wild atmospheres:
  Crowd whistling, lighters and flares thrown at refs/players, riot police lining concourses, “gravediggers” fan section, entire stands waving banners and chanting.

• Real-life danger:

  "The clothes that I wore that night will not be worn for a while, if ever again." — Brian Windhorst (55:08)

• Cultural insight:
  Windhorst’s lunch with Joakim Noah and Sasha Pavlovic, Pavlovic’s stories about LeBron’s old car (“still has Ohio plates in Serbia”), and Jared Jeffries’ early scouting of Nikola Jokic.

• Bontemps and MacMahon in disbelief at the stories, particularly the crowd’s intensity, use of flares, "M80" explosions (63:18), and the lack of concessions ("no beer, just water and soda").

  "How the hell do they get an M80 in there?" — Tim MacMahon (63:49)

• Reflecting, Windhorst calls the Belgrade Derby “one of the three greatest basketball events” he’s ever attended, alongside Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals and the 2024 Olympic gold medal game (65:30).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps):

• On the budding Spurs-Thunder rivalry:
  "[This] has got that kind of potential. For the Spurs, this was a real chance to kind of make a statement: ‘Hey, we’re here, you better take us seriously.’" — Tim MacMahon (07:21)
• Wemby on the Spurs’ team growth:
  "I'm just glad to be part of something that's growing to be so beautiful, so pure and ethical basketball." — Victor Wembanyama (read by Tim Bontemps, 09:40)
• On the Belgrade Derby:
  “I absolutely loved it. I never at once felt concerned at all. I just totally basked in it.” — Brian Windhorst, after describing flares, fireworks, and an M80 thrown into the crowd (63:58)
• On Knicks’ transformation:
  "Knicks got relevant again after they signed Jalen Brunson… you can doubt all you want, but he’s a small ball-dominant guard who has a track record of showing up in the playoffs." — Tim MacMahon (24:46)
• On Cavs’ predicament:
  "To be in the play-in and be in the second apron is not what you’re looking for." — Brian Windhorst (35:25)

Timestamps of Major Segments

• 04:00 — Omaha Productions announcement
• 05:00–20:00 — Spurs, Thunder, “NBA Cup,” Wembanyama & Chet Holmgren
• 21:00–27:00 — Knicks' rise, Brunson’s heroics, team ceiling debate
• 30:00–36:50 — Cavs' injury struggles & salary restrictions
• 39:00–42:47 — Porzingis health update & player evolution
• 43:00–73:00 — Windhorst’s European tour & firsthand account of the Belgrade Derby

Final Thoughts

A rich episode blending depth of NBA analysis with legendary storytelling. The emergent Spurs-Thunder rivalry is framed as a pillar for the league’s future, the Knicks are cemented as true contenders, and Windhorst’s European odyssey is both hilarious and awe-inspiring—a celebration of basketball’s global culture and fanatical passion.

For NBA fans, this episode offers unmatched perspectives on rising teams, player personalities, league context, and the wider world of basketball.