Recently, the OKC Thunder found themselves entangled in the NBA's newest rivalry, one that wasn't supposed to happen.
The San Antonio Spurs inserted themselves into the conversation by sweeping Oklahoma City in a three-game set that spanned over the course of two weeks.
Now the NBA faces an intriguing decision: rely on the big-market teams to generate popularity, or lean into the unexpected clash between two of its smallest markets.
These two small-market juggernauts are not making things easy on the league, as OKC's Christmas Day matchup against the Spurs was the most-watched game in the 2:30 time slot since 2017.