Victor Wembanyama stole the show this Thursday night in their back-to-back win against Phoenix with his most impressive performance yet, breaking multiple records in the process. The Spurs won 132-121 as the rookie dropped a career-high 38 points, also adding 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks and 2 turnovers.
This outstanding display means that the 19-year-old reached various milestones. He is not only the third teenager to score at least 38 points in a game after LeBron James and Kevin Durant, he’s also tied for the third-most points ever scored by a Spurs rookie.
The French sensation joins David Robinson after hitting 103 points across his first five NBA games. “It just makes me want to go even higher to beat all these records,” Wemby said about his historic start to his career.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA IS OFFICIALLY HERE 😤
38 PTS (career-high)
10 REB
2 BLKYOUNG LEGEND. pic.twitter.com/VJugulavTR
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 3, 2023
San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich also praised his first-year athlete. “He’s a multifaceted player, and he’ll pass it to the open guy,” he said postgame. “But he’s got confidence in himself, and he made some plays that were unbelievable. That combination is pretty good if you have that skill and you’re still willing to pass.”
Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal believes that Popovich will be key to his success. “The good thing is he has a coach like Popovich, because usually when you’re down by 30 you quit, but they kept playing,” said the TNT analyst. “He’s going to have to learn, he will be a great player. It’s different from the French league, but when you come in as a rookie, you’re just seeing things.”
His co-host Charles Barkley also shared his thoughts and explained why patience will be fundamental in his development, as many expect the Spurs big man to dominate the NBA already.
“The notion that a guy who is 18 or 19 is going to dominate the NBA right away is not going to happen; the players are too good,” he shared. “He’s in the Western Conference; other than the Portland Trailblazers who are having a complete rebuild, they’re not better than any team in the west.”
Even rival star Devin Booker recognized the greatness in the 19-year-old, admitting he’s never seen anything like him. “He’s an unbelievable talent. Everybody knows that. Just trying to figure out what he is because we’ve never seen him before,” he shared after their loss.
Before the match, Shaquille O’Neal downgraded the hype around Wembanyama while comparing him to Phoenix’s Bol Bol
Before the second matchup between Spurs and Suns, O’Neal still wasn’t too impressed by the French athlete and compared his talents to those of 23-year-old Bol Bol, another seven-footer.
It all started when Reggie Miller expressed that Wembanyama is a never-before-seen prospect, to which Shaq answered, “Yeah, his name is Bol Bol.” Which generated astonishment from Barkley.
Barkley scratched his head and responded with the only comparative quality he could fathom; “What, are they both black or something?”
“Wembanyama is much more consistent in Bol Bol. Wembanyama is much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much more consistent than Bol Bol Bol,” O’Neal expressed.
Ironic as it is, Wembanyama now joins Shaq as the first player with 100 points and 10 blocks in his first five NBA games since the Hall of Famer reached this mark in 1992.
