Many of us are familiar with Michael Jordan’s iconic “took it personally” line and how it encapsulates how he took down anyone and everyone in front of him. Now, we have someone else taking the mantle to go on his own insane run. 

This isn’t to say that Victor Wembanyama is already in the GOAT conversation (but he could be very well part of that in a few years). But Wembanyama takes his game to an even higher level whenever his counterpart Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is feted for an award. And on a night when Gilgeous-Alexander joined him on the All-NBA First Team, Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to the largest win by any team in this 2026 Western Conference Finals series. 

Wembanyama’s strong performance could not have come at a better time as the series is now tied heading back to Oklahoma City. At this point, the Western Conference Finals has had a little bit of everything: blowout wins, overtime games, the jawing, the polarizing fouls and free throws, and the physicality that has come to define postseason basketball. All of this has come as Wembanyama has grown right before our eyes, even as he has already grown in the span of three seasons. 

The rare blend of Wembanyama’s skill and size has been on full display and he has been pretty much unstoppable when he gets to his favorite spots in the post and even from behind the 3-point line. 

There have been questions on how the Oklahoma City Thunder draw fouls and the videos have been circulating about their brand of “defense”, but Wembanyama has been prepared to handle it all. His offseason work and his pre-game routines have allowed him to withstand the beatings he has taken. The two-time NBA All-Star has also been highly critical of himself, so it’s no surprise that he is eager not just to win, but to be better. 

Unfortunately, there aren’t anymore individual awards to be handed out to the NBA players so Wembanyama can’t take out his frustrations on accolades on Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. He can, however, be annoyed with the fact that fouls have come easy for Gilgeous-Alexander, who depending on who you talk to, is a savvy offensive threat or someone who for all his talents, doesn’t need to flop his way to the free throw line. 

As a big man, Victor Wembanyama is expected to be used to contact and the standards are different. To some extent, he has to work twice as hard just to get what others can get by walking into the defense. With the margins getting thinner as the prospect of Game 7 nears, look for Wembanyama to still take things personally. Every generation has stood on the shoulders of the giants before them, but Wembanyama wants to take that mantle faster than you can say his last name.