Spurs' unfortunate NBA Cup loss comes with unbelievable silver lining

First things first. We, at Air Alamo, offer our condolences to Victor Wembanyama, his family, and all the loved ones affected by the passing of his grandmother. If you did not hear, Wemby was informed he had lost her yesterday, sometime before the game.

It's unclear exactly when he received the news, but he was understandably emotional after the game. Losing that game will never hurt as much as losing a loved one.

With that said, losing the game wasn't even a big deal. It would have been nice for the players to receive extra money and for Spurs Nation to have something to brag about, but there is still a lot of season left. The ultimate goal is not to win the Emirates NBA Cup, and losing it may have been a blessing in disguise.

Emirates Cup winners have not performed well in the playoffs

This in-season tournament was first introduced in 2023, and the Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural event. When the postseason rolled around, they were bounced out in the first round. Meanwhile, the team they defeated, the Indiana Pacers, made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champion Celtics.

It was more of the same the following year. The Bucks won the Cup final in 2024, knocking out OKC and setting themselves up for the same fate as the victors before them: a first-round playoff exit. The Thunder, on the other hand, went on a championship run, securing their first Larry O'Brien trophy in franchise history.

As important as that experience was, winning the Cup isn't the end-all-be-all. What was learned during a heightened level of play across the board from all teams will be paramount for the Spurs later. The league did a great job by implementing this tournament. It's brought the best out of these athletes much sooner in the season than ever before. They clearly cared about winning.

It was a playoff atmosphere without the stakes of having to actually go home after losing. The best part about gaining experience like that is knowing the loss didn't count against their record. It was all benefit and no risk. Don't get me wrong. It was a big game. The team wanted to win. Fans wanted to win. It's just not the end of the world that they didn't.

The Spurs are still growing, taking every chance to get ready for the playoffs. They may have lost, but they stepped up and played hard. They competed for 48 minutes while their superstar dealt with a heavy burden on his heart. These are great signs of what they'll be ready to do when all 82 games are done.