San Antonio Spurs rookie forward/center Victor Wembanyama is the first NBA player to record at least 1,500 points, 250 blocks, and 100 3-pointers in a single season.
In 71 games (all starts), the 7-foot-4 big man has amassed 1,522 points, 755 rebounds, 274 assists, 88 steals, an NBA-leading 254 blocks, and 128 3-pointers on 394 attempts.
In San Antonio’s 121-120 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, Wembanyama recorded 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks in 36 minutes of action.
Per multiple NBA betting sites, Wembanyama is the odds-on favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Sportsbooks are still showing Chet Holmgren and Brandon Miller in the top three.
Victor Wembanyama has become the first player in NBA history to record:
1500+ PTS
250+ BLK
100+ 3PMIn the same season
Is this the best season by a rookie EVER? pic.twitter.com/ie7LcVC4FZ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 13, 2024
He finished 12-of-27 (44.4%) shooting from the field and made a career-high-tying five 3-pointers. It was his third game of his NBA career with at least five made 3s.
Wemby has already set a number of NBA records through just 71 career games. In a 122-99 victory against the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 12, he became the fifth player since 1990 to post a triple-double of at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a single game.
At age 20, Wembanyama became the youngest NBA player — since the data was first tracked — to accomplish this feat by two years. He joined Hakeem Olajuwon (age 27, 33), David Robinson (age 25, 25, 28), Dwight Howard (age 22), and Anthony Davis (age 25). The 7-foot-4 phenom turned 20 on Jan. 4.
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama leads NBA in blocks, BPG, and block percentage
San Antonio’s No. 1 overall pick from last year’s draft is the first NBA player with 10 blocks and five assists in under 30 minutes played, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Earlier this season, he also became the first rookie with 150 blocks, 150 assists, and 50 steals in a season since Tim Duncan in 1997-98.
The Spurs rookie also leads the NBA with 254 blocks, blocks per game (3.6), and block percentage (10%). He ranks 10th in total rebounds (755), seventh in defensive rebounds (594), second in defensive rating (106.1), and sixth in usage percentage (32.2%).
Following Friday night’s victory, Wembanyama slammed the ball onto the court and screamed in celebration, calling it “maybe the biggest win of the season” for the short-handed Spurs, who rank dead last in the Western Conference.
Victor Wembanyama catches fire as the Spurs overcome a 17-point deficit to defeat the Nuggets!
34 PTS | 12 REB | 5 AST | 2 BLK | 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/XmAYz32yK6
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2024
“It just makes every win feel even more special,” Wembanyama said. “As a growing team, a young team, it’s big for us. We are going to need these kinds of wins in the future.”
Despite playing without Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Cedi Osman, and Malaki Branham, the Spurs still outscored the defending NBA champion Nuggets 34-20 in the fourth quarter.
The Nuggets (56-25) fell out of sole possession of first place in the Western Conference standings and into a tie with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Based on tiebreakers, the Thunder are now first, the Timberwolves second, and the Nuggets are in third place heading into the final day of the regular season on Sunday.
