Victor Wembanyama was pretty pumped up after earning a 40-20 game for the Spurs.
He might actually be inhuman. Victor Wembanyama has proved time and time again that the San Antonio Spurs made the right decision in picking him. He continues to astound fans with his incredible performances night in and night out. His latest masterpiece might just be his greatest single-game performance of his career.
Against the New York Knicks, Wembanyama turned in an absolute monster outing for the Spurs. The star center dropped 40 points, 20 rebounds, and seven assists in the overtime win. It’s a performance that perfectly captures the insanity of Wembanyama’s performance. After the game, Wembanyama addressed the loyal San Antonio crowd, per Bally Sports San Antonio.
Talk about a star-making performance for Wembanyama. There wasn’t any doubt before that the Spurs star had the makings of a star: he’s broken plenty of records before this performance. However, a 40-20 game is pretty damn rare, especially for a player as young as Wemby.
Spurs have a bright future ahead
Wemby’s 40-20 night was notable due to a couple of other reasons. For one,the Spurs star is the youngest player to record a 40-20 double-double since John Drews, per Basketball-Reference.
“Victor Wembanyama (20 years, 85 days) is the second youngest player to have a 40-point/20-rebound game, behind John Drew (20 years, 47 days).”
Wembanyama also joined former NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal as the only rookies to reach the 40-20 mark in a game. Talk about great company for the Spurs rookie.
“Rookies with a 40/20 game over the last 40 seasons: — Shaq — Wemby”
To cap off this fantastic night, Wemby also became the first player in Spurs history to record such a statline. Truly, a generational talent he is.
“Wemby also becomes the first player in Spurs franchise history to record 40+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a game!”
Wembanyama’s Rookie of the Year bid
It seemed like Wembanyama would have stiff competition at first with Chet Holmgren for the Rookie of the Year award. With the season winding down now, though, it seems like Wemby will run away with the ROY award pretty handily. While the Spurs haven’t enjoyed the same level of success as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wemby’s raw production trumps Holmgren’s by a country mile.
How is Wembanyama doing this? Well, the Spurs are starting to realize that giving their star rookie the ball near the rim is easy two points. That, and they’re allowing Wemby to create more for himself. The result is one of the most statistically and aesthetically impressive rookie seasons to date.
The Spurs haven’t quite caught up to Wemby’s level yet. They have some intriguing pieces, but they haven’t gelled yet. However, one thing is for sure. If they continue to build around Wembanyama… good things will happen to this team. All they need is some time.
