NBA desperately needs the Spurs to save it from OKC's epic corniness

If you follow the NBA regularly, you're already aware of the Thunder's corniness. It's been apparent for a long time, and you just hope that they would stop the fake coolness and wack quotes, but it seems as natural to them as breathing. However, they can't, so the league needs someone to force them out of the spotlight. and that's where the Spurs come in.

In our latest installment of OKC's campaign to make us cringe so hard we stay that way, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is pretending like he was unaware his 20-point streak was on the brink of ending.

So, we're supposed to believe that it's a coincidence that after a lackluster offensive night, he just happened to reach 20 points the possession before Mark Daigneault pulled the starters? Nobody is buying that. These guys act like they're too cool for everything, and in a time where Victor Wembanyama is proving fans want players to care, we've had enough.

The Spurs are everything right about the NBA

San Antonio has led the charge in the "team" aspect of a global team sport in every sense of the word. Not just by how they share the basketball, but also by how they reach across the world for talent. They've always had an international twist to their roster constructions, and with Wembanyama leading the charge, the same is true now as it's always been.

From the top down, they want to do right. As Wemby said before, the Silver and Black want to play ethical basketball, and they aren't afraid to say that they want it all. The not-so-secret part about pro sports is that fans already know that the players desire championships and accolades. That's why they're in the NBA, and it's why people watch.

Normal folks don't work that hard at a craft they don't aspire to be great in. So, players should just drop the act and tell us how badly they want to crush this opponent or that one. Let us know when they're excited to break a record or win an award. Those things are endearing; they're not a slight on their manliness or whatever their egos are telling them.

De'Aaron Fox flat out said that he and Vic want to be the best pick-and-roll duo in the league. Wembanyama admitted he's willing to shoulder the responsibility as the face of the NBA if he's chosen for it; he's told us that he wants to be "something you've never seen." Dylan Harper walked right in the building and claimed the Spurs would make the playoffs this season.

These players are humble, but they're also bold and genuine in their confidence. They're comfortable with everything competition entails and aren't afraid to let the public into the deeper part of their personalities. It's refreshing to watch, and they'll be much easier for the NBA community to stomach when they knock the Thunder off their smug perch.