This is what we call a complete match. French basketball player Victor Wembanyama actively participated in the victory of the San Antonio Spurs, Monday February 12, on the floor of the Toronto Raptors by compiling 27 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks. To this triple-double – the second of his career in the NBA after the one achieved a month ago against the Detroit Pistons (16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists), are added five assists, all in twenty-nine minutes game.
A triple-double is achieved by obtaining more than ten units in three statistical areas in the same game, most often points, rebounds and assists. Doing it with more than ten blocks is much rarer, and has only been achieved by around thirty players in the history of the North American league. The last one dated January 22, 2021 when Atlanta player Clint Capela had, that day against Minnesota, scored 13 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and made 10 blocks.
With these 10 blocks in the match, Victor Wembanyama beats his personal record established at eight in November 2023 against Memphis; At 2.26 meters tall (shoes included), he leads the league in this category with an average of 3.2 blocks per match (143 in total). ” It is a fact. But it’s getting harder to block shots, I have to make an extra effort, because the players come less and less to challenge me directly”explained the French player after the match.
Heir to David Robinson in San Antonio
Aged 20, Victor Wembanyama is only the fourth rookie (“beginner”) in NBA history to achieve this kind of triple-double. One of the great specialists was Spurs pivot David Robinson, of whom the Frenchman is the direct heir in the Texan franchise. Robinson was also the last rookie to have achieved such a performance, in 1990, before totaling nine at the end of his career. “Robinson?” I didn’t see him play as a child, it’s older. But with Spurs I learned about him, watched videos. It’s an honor to have my name associated with his”he commented.
Visibly out of breath in recent weeks, Victor Wembanyama experienced a spectacular improvement on Monday, like his dunks and counterattacks which disgusted Toronto, and he finished as the match’s top scorer thanks to remarkable shooting efficiency: 10 successful shots on 14 attempts (71% success while he averages 47%) including 2 out of 4 at 3 points, and 5 out of 6 at free throws.
“For some reason I was having a great day, I started strong. It’s the NBA I guess, we have ups and downs, tonight was a high”, smiled the player at a press conference. With this success, the Spurs won for the first time since January 27, after a series of seven defeats. With this eleventh victory (for 43 losses), they nevertheless remain last in the Western Conference.