Victor Wembanyama’s 126-119 home defeat against the Dallas Mavericks in his debut in the NBA set the stage for a season of fits and starts. It was the young star’s first experience of frustration and loss. Undoubtedly one of the tallest players in the league is Victor Wembanyama.
If he wants to become the tallest player in NBA history, he will well and truly need to experience a growth surge. But as of right now, Wembanyama is the most dominant player—literally. Victor appears to have been blessed with special abilities and height, which make him a highly sought-after player.
😂😂😂#MFFL @BallsackSports lol pic.twitter.com/rbqhoijB2d
— MFFL (1-0) (@Mavs_FFL) October 26, 2023
Along with his height, he is an exceptionally talent to grace the NBA too. He has special qualities and skills and his gameplay shows that. But the Dallas MAvericks’ Grant Williams did not seem to think of that up until their match against the San Antonio Spurs, in regards to Wemby in the post-match interview he said, “I thought it was easy. He is just another tall dude. Nothing we haven’t seen before.”
Grant quickly realized in the second half of the match that Wemby was not here for fun. He meant business from the word go and was ready to showcase his skills to the world and the NBA. That too at the age of nineteen. The Frenchman is currently all in for the Spurs. We can anticipate amazing things from him with Popovich as his coach and trainer.
Victor Wembanyama’s NBA debut in numbers
In his much-awaited NBA debut, French sensation Victor Wembanyama tallied 15 points for the San Antonio Spurs. However, Luka Doncic’s triple-double derailed his momentum as Dallas defeated the Spurs 126-119.
Victor Wembanyama in his NBA debut:
– 15 PTS (9 in Q4)
– 5 REB
– 67% FGWelcome to the Association 💪 #KiaTipOff23 pic.twitter.com/eFWYCoBmy6
— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2023
Despite foul trouble in the second half, the top choice in this year’s NBA Draft made 6-of-9 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 from 3-point range. In his debut NBA game, he also finished with five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a blocked shot in 23 minutes.
Wemby coming alive in the 4th! ♨️ pic.twitter.com/9K76YGvrqX
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 26, 2023
“It was a lot of emotion. It would have been perfect to win,” said Wembanyama. “Tonight really marks the beginning. It’s still a dream, I hope to keep that dream feeling.” It will be a bittersweet moment for him as he debuted but was on the losing side to the Mavs.
“I was happy. It’s representative,” Wembanyama said of his performance. “This in itself is not exceptional. But I hope what I do next will make it special.” Wembanyama, a 19-year-old sensation regarded as the best NBA talent following LeBron James, utilized his 7-foot-4 (2.24m) stature, unexpected agility, and broad shooting touch to showcase his array of abilities in the opening game of his rookie season.
“Fortunately for us he’s a very tooled, prioritized young man,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Wembanyama. “I don’t have to teach him what is it to be a pro.” Wemby won’t be bothered much by this loss as it is just the first game of his NBA career. It remains to be seen now how he kickstarts his season as well as his career from here onwards.