January 10: A triple-double in… 21 minutes
Performance: 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists
At the heart of a catastrophic season from a collective point of view, Victor Wembanyama continues to show flashes of his talent. This January 10, it was in passing that he decided to shine, exceeding 10 points for the first time in his career, synonymous with a triple-double, the first again in the success of his team in Detroit.
Why it's historic
Even more frightening than the numbers themselves, the Spurs pivot spent 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists on the Pistons while remaining only 21 minutes on the floor, the second shortest playing time for a triple-double in the he NBA story behind Russell Westbrook's 20 minutes.
- What he said about it : “I'm not one to talk for nothing. These are the kinds of things we want to do as a team, and these are the kinds of things I want to do as a player.”
February 12: The king of countering is born
Performance: 27 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks
A month after his first triple-double, Victor Wembanyama did it again in a big victory in Toronto. Not content with weighing on the match with his 27 points and 14 rebounds, the pivot added 10 blocks for the first time in his career. Spurs only conceded 99 points that day and Wembanyama was the main reason. Let us add that that day, he played “only” 29 minutes.
Why it's historic
The Frenchman had already managed 8 blocks in a match but passing the 10 mark is necessarily symbolic. It's rare, even for Wembanyama who only did it once. Over the last two seasons, 2023/2024 and the start of 2024/2025, no other player has slammed 10 blocks in a match. He is therefore the only one with a triple-double of this kind.
- What he said about it : “I felt very good today. I had a good rhythm, I started the match strong. It's the NBA, you know. We have ups and downs, and today was a good day.”
March 29: A mammoth match
Performance: 40 points, 20 rebounds and 7 assists
The Frenchman had only waited five short matches in the NBA to take a beating against Phoenix (38 points). Four months later, he further improved his personal record by passing 40 points in New York, in a victory, all at 13/22 on shots and with, excuse me, 20 rebounds and 7 assists to accompany.
Why it's historic
That day, Wembanyama was the first rookie since Shaquille O'Neal in 1993 to finish a game with at least 40 points and 20 rebounds. He is also the first Spurs player – a franchise which has known Tim Duncan and David Robinson – in history to record a game with 40 points, 20 rebounds and at least 5 assists. Finally, he joins O'Neal, Bob McAdoo, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes, Willis Reed, Walt Bellamy and Wilt Chamberlain in history.
- What he said about it : “I have never seen so much greatness before this season. I want to be part of it. I've always wanted to do it, but I see more and more that I'm already capable of competing with these guys.“
November 13: The 50 point mark
Performance: 50 points (at 18/29), 6 rebounds and 3 blocks
Facing Washington, for the 12th game of his second NBA season, Wembanyama wants to hit very hard and for once, he almost only cares about scoring. The Spurs won in an ultra-offensive match (139-130) and the Frenchman alone scored 50 points, all at an excellent percentage (18/29, including 8/16 at three points). He took 6 rebounds and distributed 3 blocks but it was his immense offensive talent that he displayed that day.
Why it's historic
At 20 years and 314 days, Victor Wembanyama is the fourth youngest player in history to reach 50 points behind Brandon Jennings (20 years and 52 days), LeBron James (20 years and 80 days) and Devin Booker (20 years and 145 days).
- What he said about it : “My first thought is, eventually, I want our next performances to eclipse this one. I want it to become a match like any other.”
February 23 and October 31: Versatility in its purest form
Performance: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks and 5 steals against the Lakers and 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks and 5 steals against Utah.
Not one but two “five-by-five” (at least 5 units in the 5 classic statistical categories). In February then at the end of October, the French Spurs exploited his versatility by being literally everywhere on the pitch.
Why it's historic
The Frenchman's second “five-by-five” is only the 23rd in NBA history, which counts blocks and interceptions since the 1973-1973 season. There are 15 of them, with Wembanyama, to have achieved this performance but only three players have done it more than once: the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon, the versatile Andrei Kirilenko and… Victor Wembanyama.
- What he said about it : “I am capable of doing it, I can help the team in all these areas. So it has to be something regular, something I have to do more often.”
