What would have happened if Victor Wembanyama's 3-pointer had been awarded 6 minutes and 34 seconds from the final buzzer?! The Spurs would have taken an eight-point lead and their star interior would then have reached the 45-point mark, equaling… Wilt Chamberlain's record for a Christmas debutant. But instead, it was canceled by the refereeing body, who had called an offensive foul by Karl-Anthony Towns on Chris Paul just before the Wemby shot. Momentum may have changed by this sequence since the Frenchman did not score again all evening and the Spurs ended up squandering their meager lead to lose 114-117 at Madison Square Garden at the end of a remarkable match.
A record for a Spur and for a Frenchman on Christmas Day
The fact remains that the defeat, and a money-time without a basket during the last eight minutes, will not completely attenuate the magnitude of the historic performance delivered by Victor Wembanyama. For his premiere on Christmas Day, one of the NBA's greatest traditions, the child from JSF Nanterre knew he was expected. And he took responsibility. In front of the eyes of the world, with national broadcast in the United States and in prime time in France, the 2023 MVP of Betclic ÉLITE delivered a stratospheric performance: 42 points at 16/31 (including 6/16 at 3-points), 18 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in 40 minutes.
A historic performance in many respects. Not content with having come within a whistle of the historic record for a beginner on Christmas Day, Victor Wembanyama became the first Spur to score so much on December 25, the first Frenchman too. And he joined a very closed circle, that of players with 40 points and 15 rebounds for a Christmas game. Previously, there were two: Wilt Chamberlain (in 1959 and 1961) and Nikola Jokic (in 2022). We've had worse company… And if we add the 5 winning shots scored, Wemby finds himself alone in the world. Already alone in his galaxy, even though he is not yet 21 years old…
France
