San Antonio Spurs rookie forward/center Victor Wembanyama joined Jamal Tinsley (2001) as the only NBA players to record a 5×5 game, in Friday night’s 123-118 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
A 5×5 is when a player tallies at least five points, five rebounds, five assists, five steals, and five blocks in a game. Wembanyama is the second player to notch five blocks and five steals in consecutive games, joining Michael Jordan.
He fell one assist shy of a 5×5 outing in Sacramento on Thursday night. The rookie star logged 19 points, 13 boards, four assists, five steals, and five blocks in 31 minutes played.
Victor Wembanyama is the first player since Jusuf Nurkić in 2019 to record a 5×5 stat line! 🔥
He joins Jamaal Tinsley as the only rookies have a 5×5 game.#NBA | #PorVida pic.twitter.com/qpdza0rY5L
— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) February 24, 2024
On Nov. 16, 2001, Tinsley posted 12 points, nine rebounds, 15 assists, six steals, and five blocks in a whopping 51 minutes of action with the Indiana Pacers against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After Friday’s loss, Wembanyama paused to consider Jordan’s feat and then asked, “I wonder if he did it in wins.” While San Antonio’s No. 1 overall pick accomplished the feat in losses, Jordan did in fact do it in wins.
The Spurs rookie finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five steals, and five blocks to become just the 15th player in NBA history to record a 5×5 and the first since Jusuf Nurkic in 2019.
The NBA Rookie of the Year favorite scored 16 points in the first quarter alone.
Victor Wembanyama is the first NBA player to average a 5×5 over a two-game stretch since 1973-74
“He doesn’t have a ceiling,” LeBron James said of Wembanyama. “He can do whatever he wants to do in his career. It seems like he enjoys the game. It seems like he puts the work in, just from the outside looking in. … I said a long time ago how special he was, and it’s really that simple.”
The 7-foot-4 forward/center also became the second player with a stat line of 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and five steals — joining Hakeem Olajuwon, who did it four times.
Moreover, Wemby became the first player in NBA history to average a 5×5 over a two-game stretch since 1973-74, when blocks were first tracked as an official stat.
Victor Wembanyama is the YOUNGEST player in NBA history to record a 5×5 (PTS-REB-AST-STL-BLK) game 📊
27 PTS
10 REB
8 AST
5 BLK
5 STLWembanyama completed this 5×5 game in 30 minutes and 55 seconds, the fewest minutes ever played in such a game 🤯 pic.twitter.com/oenPznGOKM
— NBA (@NBA) February 24, 2024
Wembanyama played 31 minutes, the fewest in a 5×5 game. At just 20 years and 50 days old, he became the youngest player to achieve the statistical mark.
However, similar to two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the Frenchman cares more about winning than individual records.
“To me, it’s secondary,” Wembanyama said. “Hopefully in the future, and think this is a good performance, but as of today, I can’t be satisfied with a loss.”
Among the NBA players to register a 5×5 include Anthony Davis (at Philadelphia on Nov. 21, 2018), Draymond Green (at Boston on Dec. 11, 2015), Nic Batum (vs. New Orleans on Dec. 16, 2012), Andrei Kirilenko (vs. LAL on Jan. 3, 2006), Marcus Camby (vs. Utah on Jan. 9, 2004), Vlade Divac (vs. Philadelphia on Feb. 22, 1995), etc.
San Antonio finished on a 17-5 run with under four minutes remaining, but it was not enough to secure the win. The Spurs’ latest loss dropped them to 11-46 for the season. It was their 10th loss in 11 games.
