Time passes at great speed and Victor Wembanyama’s matches follow one another to such an extent that he will already play his 100thth meeting tonight against the Nuggets (3 a.m.). Since his Draft, a lot has happened and to wait before this enticing duel against Nikola Jokic, we look back at the greatest moments of the Alien.
June 22, 2023: the Draft
Like any good story, the beginning must be gripping. For Victor Wembanyama, the Draft is not simply the accomplishment of a young career already successful in France, but the beginning of something bigger: the landing of an alien with a unique and atypical profile among the greats and the very great in this sport.
On this evening of June 22, 2023, all eyes are on the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to see the history of Victor Wembanyama being written.
Unsurprisingly, he was taken first by the San Antonio Spurs. Officially, Wemby is in the NBA, but we didn’t know he was going to turn the League around in such a short time.
November 2, 2023: 38 points on the lead of the Suns for their fifth game in the NBA
If a rookie takes his time to acclimate to the NBA format, no one will blame him. Victor Wembanyama had no time for time.
For his fifth game in the Big League, Wemby challenges Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The duel is enticing, the match exceptional.
In the first half, the young rookie scored 20 points in 17 minutes and put the Suns under water. The Cacti never regain their spiciness, but even better for us, chauvinists that we are, Victor Wembanyama continues to unfold.
The Frenchman produced a perfect score of 38 points and 10 rebounds. The League has been warned: no one is ready for the Victor Wembanyama phenomenon.
December 28, 2023: the demolition of the Blazers in flip-flops
A physique like that of Victor Wembanyama fascinates as much as it worries. How will he handle the intensity of an 82-game season? Will it explode in mid-air?
To overcome possible physical problems, the Spurs staff decides to limit the minutes of its new superstar.
Wemby hovers around 30 minutes on average, a playing time which can be all the more frustrating when we see the masterclass he produced this evening of December 28 against the Blazers.
In 24 minutes, he planted 30 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, sent 6 assists and flattened 7 pancakes. Only one other rookie has produced a similar performance: David Robinson.
The symbol is as strong as Victor Wembanyama’s level of play.
February 12, 2024: a triple-double with 10 blocks
If Victor Wembanyama’s offensive profile is spectacular, we must not forget that he also remains a defensive terror and he will remind the ignorant who may have forgotten him on the evening of February 12.
In 29 minutes, Wemby released a lunar triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds and… 10 blocks to cause the second extinction of the Toronto dinosaurs.
Superlatives are lacking in the face of this extremely versatile performance. Such a level of excellence with such reduced playing time inevitably raises several questions, one of which comes up quite often when we talk about Victor Wembanyama: where will he stop?
Historic performance from Victor Wembanyama against the Raptors ⭐️
27 points
14 rebounds
10 counters
5 passes
2 interceptions
10/14 shooting
29 minutes of play
Triple double with counters, and playing time still limited. WEMBY! pic.twitter.com/z499MUNK4C
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) https://twitter.com/TrashTalk_fr/status/1757233378888220832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
February 23, 2024: his first five-by-five against LeBron James’ Lakers
Before delving into this performance, a quick look back. We are on the cusp of the 2016-17 season and like every year, we wonder about the unbeatable records. Among them, we find Oscar Robertson’s 41 triple-doubles in a season.
We then say to ourselves that no one will seek this record. Except that a certain Russell Westbrook wakes up. After the departure of Kevin Durant, Brodie has the knife between his teeth and sends an XXL season with a triple-double average where he achieves 42 in this exercise alone.
A legendary performance which earned him the title of MVP.
You are probably wondering what the connection is with Victor Wembanyama. We’re coming there. Since this incredible season of Russ West, the triple-double has become more and more commonplace to the point that today when we see Nikola Jokic achieve 30-20-10, we are no longer impressed.
All this to say that among the statistical lines that attract Really the eye, at the start of 2025, there are only two left: the untouchable quadruple-double and the five by five.
If Wemby has not (yet) achieved the first performance, he went looking for a five by five against LeBron James’ Lakers on February 23. The Alien takes on the Angelinos and calmly scores 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 interceptions and 5 blocks.
It’s only the 15thth player to achieve such a performance. That alone is already crazy except that Wemby did it again, last October 31 against Jazz.
Like Russell Westbrook for the triple-double, Wemby could make the five-by-five… banal.
February 29, 2024: the execution of Chet Holmgren
Wemby’s rookie season was marked by a rivalry. Not the one against Scoot Henderson, no, no, but the one against Chet Holmgren.
Drafted a year earlier, the Unicorn had to postpone his debut for a year due to an injury. Here he is starting his career at the same time as our national alien. The comparison lasted for several months until this evening of February 29 when the future Rookie of the Year decided to take the bull by the horns or at least the unicorn by the horn.
Victor Wembanyama will bury the debate for Rookie of the Year all by himself like a great with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists, but what stands out is not the statistical line, but the end of the match.
This meeting between Spurs and Thunder is close. Two minutes from time, Wemby decides to shoot from the Eiffel Tower at dear Chet who is eating the string on his face.
Except that the Unicorn has pride and on the next action, he decides to take the Alien into isolation. When he shoots from mid-distance, he is countered by his opponent. The match is lost for the Thunder as is the race for Rookie of the Year for Chet.
March 29, 2024: 40 points and 20 rebounds against the Knicks, last XXL performance of an exceptional rookie season
Among the anomalies of Victor Wembanyama’s year 1, there is this first match at Madison Square Garden. In the Mecca of Basketball, Wemby was expected and he missed. Only 14 points and chants “overrated” who came down from the MSG bays.
For this second duel against the Knicks, Victor was keen to rebuild and it was mission accomplished with a classic among classics.
Jalen Brunson plants 61 points. Not bad. Except that he does not leave with victory because of the UFO coming from Chesnay. Victor Wembanyama scores 40 points and grabs 20 rebounds to defeat New York.
The affront is avenged (or almost).
WEMBY CLUTCH 3 FOR 40 ‼️
A new career high for the rookie ????
Knicks-Spurs | Live on the NBA App
???? https://t.co/XQAjh3HuFW pic.twitter.com/iISuhLhbNj
— NBA (@NBA) https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1773903114774458646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
May 6, 2024: Unanimous Rookie of the Year
Faced with the XXL performances sent from October to April, the race for Rookie of the Year was in no doubt and there was none in the minds of the voters either. Victor Wembanyama is unanimously elected Rookie of the Year. The highlight of a fantastic year 1 that Wemby concluded with an average of 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds.
The adventure has only just begun, but chapter 1 was exceptional.
???????? Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season ????????
3x elected Rookie of the month
Best blocker in the entire NBA
21,4 points
10.6 rebounds
3,9 passes
3.6 blocks
1,2 interceptions
71 matches played out of 82
29.7 minutes average
The work was gigantic ❤️ pic.twitter.com/seDvLAZysG
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) https://twitter.com/TrashTalk_fr/status/1787618762012737658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
November 13, 2024: 50 points against the Wizards
If chapter 1 of the book “Victor Wembanyama: journey of an alien in the NBA” ended on a cliffhanger which made us eager to read and especially to see the rest, the beginning of chapter 2 is more complicated.
Wemby does not return his shots, seems to lack rhythm and the criticisms are flying.
As is often the case, the reigning Rookie of the Year decides to take the problem head on and respond in the best possible way on the field.
On November 13, the Spurs host the Wizards of Alexandre Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly. Facing his compatriots, Wemby reminds us who is the boss with an XXL match among XXL matches: 50 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks. His season is officially launched.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA VS. WIZARDS :
50 POINTS (CAREER RECORD)
18/29 SHOOTING
8/16 FROM 3-POINTS (CAREER RECORD)
6 REBOUNDS
2 PASSES
3 AGAINST
1 STEAL
32 MINUTES
A MONUMENTAL MATCH… THE ALIEN IS SCARY! ????????????
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) https://twitter.com/TrashTalk_fr/status/1856903332637397362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
December 25, 2024: his first Christmas Game
Do you remember when we said above that the affront against the Knicks was almost avenged? This revenge almost ended at Christmas. Victor Wembanyama was back at Madison Square Garden, one of the rare venues that had not been successful for him.
Back for Christmas, with all eyes focused on New York, the Alien arrived with a message to convey to the skeptics: he is indeed the future of the League.
Wemby thus sets a (new) masterclass with 42 points and 18 rebounds. Only the third player in history to score 40 points in his first Christmas game. Except that everything didn’t go as planned because of that devil Mikal Bridges who crashes 41 points to bring victory to the Knicks.
See you next year for the premiere win au Madison Square Garden ?
Next stop: the All-Star Game?
Victor Wembanyama could well reach a new level this year with his first selection to the All-Star Game. If it may be difficult to finish among the starters, Wemby has all the arguments to be taken among the replacements and Victor Wembanyama at the All-Star Game, that’s all we ask for!
Source text: StatsMuse, ESPN, Basketball Reference
