Victor Wembanyama Records First Professional Triple-Double

Victor Wembanyama had his first profession al triple-double Wednesday night, putting 16/12/10 against the ailing Detroit Pistons. Furthermore, the 21 minutes and 2 seconds Wembanyama needed to complete the feat made it the second-fastest triple-double of the shot clock era. The 22-point win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Spurs and moved them to 6-30 on the season. Meanwhile, the Pistons fell to 3-35 and extended their current losing streak to six games.

“Doing it in a win is everything, of course. I didn’t know it was the second fastest in NBA history. It matters to me. I’m not the type to talk for nothing. This is the kind of statement we want to make as a team, and this is type of statement I want to make as a player,” Wembanyama said after the game.

Read More: Victor Wembanyama Reveals His Favorite Off-Court Hobby

Giannis Calls Victor Wembanyama “Special”

As Wembanyana’s magical rookie season continues, more and more players around the league are starting to take notice of his potential. Giannis Antetokounmpo had high praise for Victor Wembanyama following his first game against the rookie French phenom. “He’s special. He’s going to be an extremely good player. He plays the right way. He plays to win. I’ve never seen anything like him,” Giannis said after the Bucks’ 125-121 win. After Wembanyama blocked Giannis at the rim in the final minute of the game, the French star was able to set up a potential game-tying three. However, Tre Jones’ shot from the corner fell short. Wembanyama finished the game with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks.

As for Wembanyama himself, the praise from Giannis held extra weight as the Greek star was one of the players he watched the most growing up. “It’s always extra motivation, and I know I’m a competitor. So I want to go at everyone and be the bad guy on the court. So it was a great matchup. I’m trying to gain knowledge from as many great players as there are. Giannis is one of the players I’ve watched the most. The way he uses his body, he makes 100% of what he can do with his body. That’s something I look up to and I still look up to. It’s a player I know pretty well,” Wembanyama said.

Read More: Giannis Antetokounmpo Says He Can’t Stop Thinking About Losing To The Pacers, Even During Sex

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SOURCE SPORTS: Victor Wembanyama Gets First Career Triple-Double in Just 21 Minutes

Victor Wembanyama Gets First Career Triple-Double

Victor Wembanyama is as good as advertised. During a 130-108 win over the Detroit Pistons, Wembanyama notched his first triple-double.

The stat line for the 7-foot-3 French wonder was 16 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists. The triple-double was registered in just 21 minutes of game time.

“Doing it in a win is everything, of course,” said Wembanyama. “I didn’t know it was the second fastest in NBA history. It matters to me. I’m not the type to talk for nothing. This is the kind of statement we want to make as a team, and this is type of statement I want to make as a player.”

The fastest was completed by Russell Westbrook in 2014 in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

You can see Wemby’s post-game press conference below.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Victor Wembanyama Gets First Career Triple-Double in Just 21 Minutes first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Victor Wembanyama Gets First Career Triple-Double in Just 21 Minutes appeared first on The Source.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Calls Victor Wembanyama “Special” After First Matchup

Giannis Antetokounmpo had high praise for Victor Wembanyama following his first game against the rookie French phenom. “He’s special. He’s going to be an extremely good player. He plays the right way. He plays to win. I’ve never seen anything like him,” Giannis said after the Bucks’ 125-121 win. After Wembanyama blocked Giannis at the rim in the final minute of the game, the French star was able to set up a potential game-tying three. However, Tre Jones’ shot from the corner fell short. Wembanyama finished the game with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks.

As for Wembanyama himself, the praise from Giannis held extra weight as the Greek star was one of the players he watched the most growing up. “It’s always extra motivation, and I know I’m a competitor. So I want to go at everyone and be the bad guy on the court. So it was a great matchup. I’m trying to gain knowledge from as many great players as there are. Giannis is one of the players I’ve watched the most. The way he uses his body, he makes 100% of what he can do with his body. That’s something I look up to and I still look up to. It’s a player I know pretty well,” Wembanyama said.

Read More: Victor Wembanyama Reveals His Favorite Off-Court Hobby

Victor Wembanyama Remains Hopeful Despite 5-29 Record

The loss dropped the Spurs to a 5-29 record, second-worst in the league behind the 3-31 Pistons. However, the close loss to Milwaukee gives Wembanyama hope for the future. “It’s promising. That’s the first thing [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] told us coming back in the locker room. We had some moments in the game where everything seemed to work. And I could feel the crowd believing in us and getting going. Some of this was satisfying tonight,” Wembanyama said.

The rookie has been going from strength to strength. Just before New Year’s, he had the first 30/5/5/5 game by a teenager in the NBA in a monster night against Portland. The French superstar rookie finished the night with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 7 blocks as San Antonio snapped a five-game skid. Furthermore, Wembanyama’s star night game against fellow high-flying prospect, Scoot Henderson. “It’s always important to me to play against great players, especially players my age,” Wembanyama said after the game. “His length alone is just weird, it’s like he hovers over you. You can’t really feel him or bump him off because of his length,” Henderson said of playing against Wembanyama.

Read More: Jersey From Victor Wembanyama’s NBA Debut Sells For Over $700K At Auction

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SOURCE SPORTS: Giannis-Wembanyama First Matchup Becomes Instant Classic

Giannis-Wembanyama First Matchup Becomes Instant Classic

In a birthday celebration to remember, Victor Wembanyama showcased his prowess on the court with an outstanding performance, amassing 27 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks. Despite his stellar efforts, the festivities took an unexpected turn as his team came close to upsetting the Milwaukee Bucks.

The game reached a thrilling climax, with Milwaukee closing on a 13-4 run in the final 3:30 to secure a narrow four-point victory, avoiding their first three-game losing streak since December 2022.

Giannis Antetokounmpo stole the spotlight with an incredible display, recording 44 points, 14 boards, and seven assists. The duel between Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama left an indelible mark, prompting Khris Middleton to express, “To see those two guys go at it, I don’t think the league has ever seen anything like that.”

Contributions from Damian Lillard, who added 25 points and ten assists for Milwaukee, were crucial. Meanwhile, Devin Vassell’s remarkable performance with a team-high 34 points and six 3-pointers for San Antonio added to the intensity of this captivating matchup.

There were highlights galore across the game, including a wild finish that had a strong block by Wemby.

You can see the closing 1:19 below.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Giannis-Wembanyama First Matchup Becomes Instant Classic first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Giannis-Wembanyama First Matchup Becomes Instant Classic appeared first on The Source.

Victor Wembanyama Has Monster Game Against Portland

Victor Wembanyama produced the first 30/5/5/5 game by a teenager in the NBA in a monster night for the Spurs. The French superstar rookie finished the night with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 7 blocks as San Antonio snapped a five-game skid. Furthermore, Wembanyama’s star night game against fellow high-flying prospect, Scoot Henderson. “It’s always important to me to play against great players, especially players my age,” Wembanyama said after the game. “His length alone is just weird, it’s like he hovers over you. You can’t really feel him or bump him off because of his length,” Henderson said of playing against Wembanyama.

The win, just San Antonio’s fifth of the season, showed what a team built around Wembanyama was capable of. “We were never stopping the ball, always moving and sharing it. The defense, we were all locked in on the shifts. We had a lot of deflections, especially in the first half. It’s details, but when you get it all together, this is what it looks like,” Wembanyama said.

Read More: Victor Wembanyama Reveals His Favorite Off-Court Hobby

Jersey From Victor Wembanyama’s NBA Debut Sells For Over $700K

Wembanyama is averaging 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks a game in a stellar start to his NBA career. Despite the Spurs’ struggles, the hype on Wembanyama remains high. The jersey from his NBA debut has sold for $762K, nearly eight times the estimated price. The auction, handled by Sotheby’s, opened last week and closed yesterday with an anonymous bidder coming away with the one-of-a-kind item. Of course, the price tag is nowhere close to the record set by Michael Jordan‘s 1998 Finals jersey ($10.091M). However, it’s an amazing price for the jersey of a player less than 20 games into his NBA career. Furthermore, it did set a new record for the sale of an NBA rookie debut jersey. The all-time record for a full rookie uniform was set in 2021 with the sale of Kobe’s rookie kit.

A major contributing factor to the auction, which reportedly drew 62 bids alone, is how Wembanyama has gone from strength to strength over the course of his young career. Of course, Wembanyama is no ordinary rookie. The Frenchman has been professionally in the well-regarded French league since 2019. While many European players come to the NBA with prior professional experience, few have that experience at the same level or hype as Wembanyama. By comparison, two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who played three years in Serbia before the NBA, was a mid-second-round pick in 2014.

Read More: Chris Paul Tries To Look Taller In Photo With Victor Wembanyama, Social Media Goes Wild

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Victor Wembanyama Reveals His Favorite Off-Court Hobby

Victor Wembanyama recently revealed that one of his favorite things to do while not playing basketball is reading fantasy novels. “I actually wondered how many books I have read. I think I read even more than before, with all the traveling,” Wembanyama told the San Antonio Express-News. Spurs teammates corroborated the story, saying Wembanyama is usually seen on team flights with his nose buried in a thick book. At a recent press conference, Wembanyama named fantasy as his favorite genre. He named Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series as one of his favorites and also recently finished the fantasy juggernaut, The Wheel of Time.

Reading is a big part of Spurs team culture, with coach Gregg Popovich encouraging his players to read and remain up to date with current events. “He gives us a book every month or every couple of weeks. It’s like a little book club,” Tre Jones explained. Popovich has been spotted in recent years at famous bookstores like New York’s Strand Bookstore and Portland’s Powell’s Books.

Read More: Chris Paul Tries To Look Taller In Photo With Victor Wembanyama, Social Media Goes Wild

Victor Wembanyama Jersey Goes For Record Price

Elsewhere, the jersey from Wembanyama’s NBA debut recently fetched a massive price at auction. The jersey sold for $762K, nearly eight times the estimated price. The auction, handled by Sotheby’s, ran through mid-to-late November with an anonymous bidder coming away with the one-of-a-kind item. Of course, the price tag is nowhere close to the record set by Michael Jordan‘s 1998 Finals jersey ($10.091M). However, it’s an amazing price for the jersey of a player who was less than 20 games into his NBA career at the time. Furthermore, it did set a new record for the sale of an NBA rookie debut jersey. The all-time record for a full rookie uniform was set in 2021 with the sale of Kobe’s rookie kit.

A major contributing factor to the auction, which reportedly drew 62 bids alone, is how Wembanyama has gone from strength to strength over the course of his young career. Of course, Wembanyama is no ordinary rookie. The Frenchman has been professionally in the well-regarded French league since 2019. While many European players come to the NBA with prior professional experience, few have that experience at the same level or hype as Wembanyama. By comparison, two-time MVP Nikola, who played three years in Serbia before the NBA, was a mid-second-round pick in 2014.

Read More: Victor Wembanyama Towers Over Drake In Latest Picture Together

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Jersey From Victor Wembanyama’s NBA Debut Sells For Over $700K At Auction

Victor Wembanyama’s jersey from his NBA debut has sold for $762K, nearly eight times the estimated price. The auction, handled by Sotheby’s, opened last week and closed yesterday with an anonymous bidder coming away with the one-of-a-kind item. Of course, the price tag is nowhere close to the record set by Michael Jordan’s 1998 Finals jersey ($10.091M). However, it’s an amazing price for the jersey of a player less than 20 games into his NBA career. Furthermore, it did set a new record for the sale of an NBA rookie debut jersey. The all-time record for a full rookie uniform was set in 2021 with the sale of Kobe’s rookie kit.

A major contributing factor to the auction, which reportedly drew 62 bids alone, is how Wembanyama has gone from strength to strength over the course of his young career. Of course, Wembanyama is no ordinary rookie. The Frenchman has been professionally in the well-regarded French league since 2019. While many European players come to the NBA with prior professional experience, few have that experience at the same level or hype as Wembanyama. By comparison, two-time MVP Nikola, who played three years in Serbia before the NBA, was a mid-second-round pick in 2014.

Read More: Victor Wembanyama Towers Over Drake In Latest Picture Together

How Is Wembanyama’s Rookie Season Going?

Through 14 games, Wembanyama is averaging an incredibly solid stat line – 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.6 blocks. Is he going to win MVP as a rookie? No. However, he is already making his present felt as a versatile and unpredictable player that opposing teams are still trying to solve. However, the next step will be for the Spurs to build a team around Wembanyama. After a surprisingly competitive start, the Spurs are 3-11 and have lost their last nine games in a row. The Spurs simply don’t have the pieces to be a competitive team.

Despite this, the expectations are still sky-high for the rookie. Every time he has a bad performance, it’s dissected and then the blame is immediately placed on Wembanyama’s shoulders. “After righting the ship for two games, Wembanyama suffered a massive regression in the loss. Even though the Spurs were outplayed across the board, Wembanyama’s season-low three-rebound total was notable. The Spurs have now lost nine straight games, and they need their rookie to pay off the investment with more consistency,” ESPN wrote of Wembanyama’s performance against the Clippers in their fantasy basketball section.

Read More: Stephen Curry Tries His Hardest To Win Jump Ball Over Victor Wembanyama: Watch

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Victor Wembanyama Scores 38 As Spurs Stun Suns Again

Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 38 points in the fifth game of his rookie season as the Spurs improved to 3-2 at the expense of the Suns. It was the second time this week that San Antonio has gotten the better of Phoenix. 10 of Wembanyama’s points came in the final 4:15 of the game, outscoring the entire Suns roster over that same period. Furthermore, the game marked Wembanyama’s second NBA double-double as he also notched 10 rebounds in the 132-121 win. Additionally, the French rookie knew exactly what to say when asked if he felt he was a clutch player. “It’s a requirement if we’re being ambitious,” he told reporters.

However, Wemby also showed some astute insight as he mulled the win. “Every game is different. We got our third win. Every game we try to find the spots that we need to hurt them. Today, it might have been in this way. Tomorrow, it will be someone else. That is how great teams work. If we want to be great, we need to play with everyone,” he explained. His performance comes in as the third-best performance by a rookie in history. David Robinson holds the top two spots, with 40 and 39-point performances in his 1990 rookie season.

Read More: Angel Reese And LSU Stars Name Their All-Time Basketball Starting Lineups

Spurs Roll Onward

The Spurs were also 3-2 after five games to open last season. However, their journey to the #1 pick was set in motion after a 1-14 November. But things feel different this time around – they come off back-to-back to wins against a conference contender and have one of the most exciting rookies in league history. For many Spurs fans, the benchmark will be 56 wins. That was what the team achieved in the rookie seasons of their last two #1 picks – David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

Next up on the schedule is a trip to Toronto this weekend. After all, the Spurs welcome Indiana and the Knicks to San Antonio. However, Devin Booker is already forward to the Spurs-Suns rematch in March. “He’s an unbelievable talent. Just trying to figure out what he is because we have never seen him before. We got him early in the season, and hopefully next time that we play him we can make some adjustments to make it tougher on him. But he has an advantage being 7-4 and being able to shoot over everybody. Just finding different ways to make it tough on him,” Booker said.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Victor Wembenyama Explodes for 38 Points & 10 Rebonds in Spurs W Over the Suns

Victor Wembenyama Explodes in Spurs W Over the Suns

Victor Wembenyama has let the NBA know that his time is now. In a matchup against Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns, Wembanyama exploded for 38 points, ten rebounds, and two blocks. The Spurs won 132-121.

According to the NBA, Wembanyama has become the third teen in NBA history to notch a stat line of at least 35 points, ten rebounds, and two blocks. The other two are Durant and LeBron James. Wembanyama also joined Spurs legend David Robinson as the only members in franchise history to score 100 or more in their first five games.

You can see all the highlights from Big Vic’s game below.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Victor Wembenyama Explodes for 38 Points & 10 Rebonds in Spurs W Over the Suns first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Victor Wembenyama Explodes for 38 Points & 10 Rebonds in Spurs W Over the Suns appeared first on The Source.

Victor Wembanyama Impresses In NBA Debut

Victor Wembanyama did a little bit of everything in a solid NBA debut for the Spurs. The French rookie had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals in his 23-minute debut. However, he also struggled with turnovers and fouls, picking up five of each. “Lots of emotions for sure. But it would have been perfect with a win,” Wembanyama said after the game. “It might be frustrating, but always keeping your heads up is good for my teammates. I can’t show it on the court, and we learn every day,” he added.

His performance was also praised by head coach Gregg Popovich. “One of the toughest things for a player is to get into foul trouble. You never get into a rhythm, you’re in and out of the game and that sort of thing. I thought his maturity showed, even at a young age, where he came in with the last seven minutes and just played. We ran some stuff for him, he executed where a lot of guys would have been totally out of it by then because, as you said, were in foul trouble and didn’t get the rhythm. I thought he had a wonderful outing considering that,” Coach Pop noted.

Read More: Anthony Davis Hypes Revenge Game Against Nuggets, Scores 0 Points In Second Half

Wembanyama Impresses But Spurs Lose Late

Despite Wembanyama’s strong showing, the Spurs couldn’t hold on to their early lead. A combined 55 points from Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving helped the Mavericks pull away late in the all-Texas affair. Dončić ended the night on a triple-double with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Mavs star also had high praise for the rookie. “He has obviously the size, obviously like everybody talks, but the way he moves for 7-5, 7-6 — I don’t know what it is, sorry — but he moves incredible. He moves like a point guard almost. So it’s pretty amazing to see him. He’s going to have a great future, and it’s going to be amazing to watch,” Dončić said.

However, Devin Vassell, who led the Spurs with 23 points, said the team expects Wembanyama to only get greater. “We’re all figuring each other out. We’re all figuring out Wemby. He’s figuring us out. We just got to figure out how to play as a team and make sure that the game is easy for him and he doesn’t have to do as much as he has to do on iso situations and just getting him easy lobs, easy looks to get him going. He demands so much attention. If they are double-teaming him, we have to be able to cut and make certain plays out of that.”

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