In his first game after debuting at All-Star Weekend, Victor Wembanyama was just one assist shy of a historic performance against the Kings. The famous five for five, getting at least five points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. The French player finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals and blocks and 4 basket passes, and the debate began: When would Wemby get the first 5×5 of his career? The answer: 24 hours later. Against the Lakers of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, in one of his best games of the season, he finally entered the famous 5×5 list. And it was James, at the end of the encounter, who was the first to surrender at the alien’s feet.
“This guy is special,” LeBron James posted on X, previously known as Twitter, along with an alien emoji. And the King and the rest of the Lakers saw Wemby have a game with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, with also 5 blocks and 5 steals. He did it in just under 31 minutes.. “He has no ceiling, he can do whatever he wants in his career,” LeBron said after the game. “And they have an incredible coach who will make sure he does things the right way,” he insisted, before comparing him to the rookies who have surprised him the most since he arrived in the NBA. Recent names like Zion Williamson or Luka Doncic, teammates like Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving and Tyreke Evans sneaked onto the list.
And what James valued most about the Frenchman was his impact on defense. “There are players in the league that every time you get close to the rim, you have to take into account their presence. He is up there on the list, if not the first, with the best” praised LeBron James about the defensive presence of the French rookie . Wemby became the first player since Michael Jordan to have five steals and five rebounds in consecutive games, something that was not important for the Spurs player. “I’m sure Jordan did it with victory. For me he is secondary, and today I cannot be satisfied with the defeat,” said Wembanyama when asked about the milestone. The Frenchman’s head is as well furnished as his physique is privileged.
It was a loss, the Spurs’ 46th this season, but the game helped them once again slip into the history books. He became the second rookie to sign a 5×5, something that Jamaal Tinsley achieved in 2001 and the 15th player in decades of NBA history to do so, the first since Jusuf Nurkic in 2019. He was also the youngest, barely 20 years old, and the one who needed the least time to achieve it, under 31 minutes. He also became the second player to have a line of 25 points, 10 rebounds and at least 5 blocks, assists and steals, something that only Hakeem Olajuwon had achieved. The Nigerian did it four times, being the leader in 5×5 matches with six. Only Hakeem and Andrei Kirilenko, with three, have managed to do it on more than one occasion.
James was not the first player to surrender to Wembanyama. Kevin Durant, who was the Frenchman’s idol and a mirror, was one of the first. “I don’t see anyone like Wemby in the NBA,” he said after losing to the Spurs. “He’s going to create his own story, you can try to compare him, but he’s going to be different from anyone else.” Along the same lines, names like Steph Curry, Devin Booker or his compatriot Rudy Gobert. “You can see that he trains and studies the game, and he will continue to improve every day,” said the favorite for best defender of the year. For now, San Antonio has not been able to win a game without its star. The record with the Frenchman is 11-40; without him, 0-6 and defeats against bottom teams like Portland or Charlotte, whom they have beaten with the Frenchman available.
And after a hesitant start, especially in shooting percentages, Wemby has come back in the race for the rookie of the year award. The Frenchman has overtaken Chet Holmgren in all the betting houses, despite the performance of the Oklahoma player on a team that leads the conference. Because to deny that the Wembanyama era is beginning is to lie, it is to go against the truth. LeBron James said it, there is little more to listen to.
2024-02-25 07:55:04
#NBA #surrenders #alien #Wembanyama
