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Wemby Watch: Victor Wembanyama adds plenty to rookie highlight reel with recent play

The now 20-year-old phenom mesmerizes Spurs crowd and NBA fans with one of his best all-around performances yet.

Michael C. Wright and Michaela Gilmer

Victor Wembanyama blocks Ja Morant

Victor Wembanyama was a force against the Grizzlies, finishing with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

• NBA All-Star 2024: Vote here

Stay up to date on No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama during his rookie campaign with the San Antonio Spurs. A new Wemby Watch drops every Sunday during the season. Here’s what we saw this week:

1-man highlight reel 🤯

The rookie phenom left fans (and us) in awe this week with one jaw-dropping play after another. Naturally, this became, for us, a difficult process with so many crazy highlights to choose from. 

Still, we guarantee you won’t be disappointed in our selection. 

Take a look.

Advice from an NBA legend 👏

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo offered effusive praise for the Spurs rookie along with some advice.

“I was watching KD (Kevin Durant) when he came [into the league]. He was incredible,” Antetokounmpo said. “And I watched LeBron and Carmelo and watched other players and [Wembanyana] is up there. When I first came into the league, I didn’t even play. As long as you listen, and work extremely hard, you have nothing to lose. You have nothing to lose, man.”

If you really want to dig into the nitty gritty of what took place Thursday when Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo clashed for the first time, check out this story.

A new decade 🥳

The Spurs’ rookie turned 20 on Thursday, marking the end of his teenage years. 

The French phenom’s teammates acknowledged the milestone, singing “Happy Birthday” ahead of a matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks that proved to be a gift and a celebration of hoops for the sellout crowd at Frost Bank Center of 19,082.

As Wembanyama made his way onto the court later on for pregame warmups, San Antonio fans inside the arena joined to sing “Happy Birthday” again to him.

The rookie returned the warm welcome with 27 points and five blocks in a classic duel against Antetokounmpo that “everybody wanted to see,” according to Bucks forward Khris Middleton, who added, “I don’t think the league has seen anything like that.”

Welcome to the league moment 🤷‍♂️

Wembanyama faced off against one of the league’s most electrifying players in Ja Morant Tuesday in Memphis. Both players are known for their explosive playing style and highlights, but Morant edged out the rookie in the pair’s first matchup thanks to a 26-point, 10-assist performance in a 106-98 Grizzlies victory.

The money highlight came when the Memphis guard caught the rookie slipping with 9:11 left to play by driving right, before crossing over to the middle for a two-handed dunk on the league’s leader in blocked shots.

On the court 🏀

In what could be perceived as an act of defiance, Wembanyama – on a minutes restriction due to an ankle injury – checked back into Tuesday’s loss to Memphis without permission.

The rookie initially left the game for the night (or so it seemed) with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter and his team trailing by 16 points. He reentered with 1:46 remaining, and 33 seconds later scored on a dunk. 

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich subbed out the No. 1 overall pick with 1:10 left to play.

“I wasn’t allowed to sub in, but I still did it,” Wembanyana said. “The coach sent me out right after.”

The team is limiting Wembanyama’s minutes and keeping him from playing in back-to-backs. They plan to re-examine the ankle “within the next week or two,” according to Popovich, who later expressed to Wembanyama that his “long-term [health] is what we’re interested in.” 

That did little to assuage the rookie’s frustration.

“Everybody wants to play,” Popovich said. “He doesn’t want to sit on the bench. So, when I brought him out, he totally understood. He didn’t like it. I’m glad he didn’t like it.”

All-Star praise 🌟 

The rookie phenom ranks among the top 10 vote getters in the first fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T. He received 221,220 fan votes, eighth most among Western Conference frontcourt players, and is one of just two rookies to make the list.

Rookie reflection 💭

Wembanyama waved goodbye to 2023 with a heartfelt post on Instagram that ended with the rookie calling the year the “best year of my life (so far).”

The now 20-year-old also provided a glimpse of what to expect in the future. The first All-Star voting returns dropped Thursday, coincidentally the same day OKC’s Chet Holmgren won Rookie of the Month for games played in December.

Wembanyama admitted those tidbits of news played a role in his performance against Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

“Of course,” he said. “I’m dedicated and I know at the end of the day I’m going to get what I deserve, and every game is a statement from now on.”

The Wemby effect 📈

This highlight from Dec. 31 generated some serious traffic on the NBA’s Instagram account to the tune of 88.8 million views over just four days. Headed into the showdown Thursday against Milwaukee, that clip was close to taking over the No. 1 spot as the most-viewed video ever on the league’s Instagram account.

Would you be surprised if Wemby’s highlights from Thursday’s contest beat it?

We wouldn’t.

Circle on calendar 📅

The No. 1 overall pick takes on No. 2 pick Brandon Miller this week as the Spurs host the Hornets on Friday (7 ET, League Pass). It marks the first regular-season matchup for the top two 2023 draftees after meeting last July for a highly-anticipated Summer League clash.

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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. E-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

Michaela Gilmer is a producer for NBA.com.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.

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