I don’t know how good Victor Wembanyama is going to be in five years, or 10, but Thursday night gives me hope:
On his 20th birthday he went toe-to-toe with Giannis Antetokounmpo, scored 27 with nine rebounds and five blocks, and did this: A behind-the-back move in transition into a and-1 poster dunk.
OH MY GOODNESS WEMBY 😱
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2024
Bucks-Spurs on TNT pic.twitter.com/6lHbOH3cr3
What are we doing?
Wembanyama wasn’t done — he had a critical block of Antetokounmpo down the stretch that kept the Spurs chances alive.
Wemby rejection preserves the 3-point deficit!
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2024
Spurs have the ball down 3 with 16.5 seconds remaining on TNT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/1P2y2a3ebM
“He’s special,” Antetokounmpo said after the game, via ESPN. “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.”
To be fair, Antetokounmpo got his — 44 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists — and looked every bit the MVP candidate in leading the Bucks to a win. He and Wembanyama made this game so much fun to watch (Damian Lillard chipping in 25 and Devin Vassell scoring 34 helped, too).
Two of the NBA's unique talents went toe-to-toe with rim-rattling dunks, big-time swats and down-to-the-wire buckets as the Bucks pulled out the W in a THRILLER.
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2024
Giannis: 44 PTS (19-28 FGM), 14 REB, 7 AST
Wemby: 27 PTS, 9 REB, 5 BLK pic.twitter.com/Siopwyc8EZ
Milwaukee got the win, 125-121. There are no moral victories in the NBA, but the Spurs and Wembanyama are getting better nightly and that’s all this season was about in San Antonio.
