San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said that not even a triple-overtime game on Christmas Day could convince him to alter his staff's recovery plan for Victor Wembanyama.
It turns out the Spurs didn't even need a single overtime.
For the third time this month, Wembanyama and the Spurs handled the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. Wembanyama came off the bench once again on Thursday to chip in 19 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes as San Antonio cruised to a 117-102 victory.
MORE: Victor Wembanyama is not getting ahead of himself after three wins against the Thunder
The Spurs, now 23-7, have moved to within 2.5 games of the Thunder. And later on Christmas, Nikola Jokic's 55-point, 16-rebound, 15-assist triple-double led the Denver Nuggets to a 142-138 overtime win over Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets, at 22-8, are third in the West, one game behind the Spurs.
For former All-Star Jeff Teague, the 2025 Christmas games symbolize a "changing of the guard" in the NBA. Gone are the days when Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James ran the league; to Teague, the NBA belongs to Edwards, Jokic and Wembanyama now.
"It's okay to say (LeBron) is done," Teague said on the Club 520 podcast. "It’s safe to say Jokic, Wemby and Ant, those guys are taking over the league.”
Jeff Teague says Christmas games showed him it’s no longer LeBron, Steph, or KD league anymore
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) December 26, 2025
“It showed me changing of the guards… it’s safe to say Jokic, Wemby, and Ant are taking over the league”
(Via @club520podcast) pic.twitter.com/VCSwNLR8Wr
The current playoff picture helps Teague's case. While the Spurs, the Nuggets and the Timberwolves all are in the top five of the Western Conference, the Rockets and the Warriors are sixth and eighth respectively.
The Lakers sit fourth in the West after the Christmas Day games, but an injury to star guard Austin Reaves -- and LA's bottom-five defense -- could precipitate a drop down the standings in the weeks to come.
Curry, Durant and James all appear to be nearing the end of their legendary careers. But Wembanyama is leading the way for the next generation of superstars.
More NBA news:
Austin Reaves injury shows the Lakers' problems are only just beginning
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama threw major shade at the Thunder after blowout win
Nuggets' Nikola Jokic had the most on-brand response to his 56-16-15 stat line
Gilgeous-Alexander admits the Thunder have to be better when playing against the Spurs
Steph Curry trade idea sends Warriors legend home to finish his career