It’s hard to believe that Victor Wembanyama is still only 20 years old.
Through the first 12 games of this season, the San Antonio Spurs’ sophomore is averaging 22.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and a league-leading 3.8 blocks. These numbers are actually quite similar to last year, where he was named the unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year, finished second to Rudy Gobert in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year race, and became the first rookie ever to be included in the NBA All-Defensive First team.
What’s even more encouraging about Wembanyama’s numbers this season so far are that he has actually started out slow and was even publicly criticized by an anonymous scout for his lackluster play on offense.
Wembanyama seems to have heard these comments and a mere few days after they became public, he responded in the best way possible with the first 50-point game of his NBA career.
In the Spurs’ 139-130 win versus the Washington Wizards, the 7’4 center scored 50 points on 18-of-29 field goals, including eight-of-16 three-point shots, in only 32 minutes of play. The points and three-pointers both set new career-highs for Wembanyama.
The French center set the tone for his historic night from the opening tip, scoring eight of San Antonio’s first 13 points. The game was tied at halftime at 67-all, before Wembanyama unleashed a 19-point third quarter that gave the Spurs a 17-point lead, 108-91, heading into the final period. He scored in a variety of ways during this decisive run–from long three-pointers to tough midrange jumpers to drives to the basket–which served as a reminder that he is definitely two-way force to be reckoned with
Following this career-best performance, Wembanyama is now the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game, behind only Brandon Jennings, LeBron James, and Devin Booker. He is also the eighth player in franchise history to record a 50-point outing and the first since LaMarcus Aldridge five years ago in 2019.
More importantly for San Antonio, the incredible night of Wembanyama helped them win their second straight game and bring them back to .500 at 6-6. Though this team is still far from becoming championship contenders, a strong season this year where they compete for a spot in the postseason–or even just the play-in tournament–would do wonders for their development.
If Wembanyama continues playing like this, it would not come as a surprise if they do manage to slip into the play-in tournament. In the meantime, the Wembanyama show is now in full swing and this 50-point outing is only the beginning. The future is bright for the Spurs and there will only be more special nights like this one in the years to come.
