Victor Wembanyama joins the legendary group of NBA players after posting another monstrous statistic

CNN
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Victor Wembanyama put his name alongside some legendary figures in NBA history after posting another monstrous statistic in the San Antonio Spurs’ 116-96 win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday.

The 20-year-old scored 34 points and also added 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks, helping the Spurs comfortably record their fifth win of the 2024 season.

Monday’s game was Wembanyama’s 82nd in the league since he was selected No. 1 overall in last year’s draft, meaning he has now played the equivalent of a full season.

And with his magnificent performance against the Kings, the Frenchman joined a select group of Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Blake Griffin and Sidney Wicks and became the only player in league history with at least 1,700 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists in her first 82 games.

When asked what he has learned after a full season, Wembanyama emphasized the mental aspect of preparing for a busy schedule.

“It’s more important to approach the game mentally than to approach it physically,” he told reporters. “Of course we take care of our bodies, but there are people whose job it is to take care of our bodies and make sure we are healthy. Of course we’ll think about it, but to be great you just have to approach the game with that killer mentality.”

Monday’s performance came after Wembanyama filled the stat sheet with 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks in a win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday – his third career game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and five three-pointers, the most in NBA history.

One thing that has developed for Wembanyama over the course of the season is his success from three-point range.

He began the season shooting 25% from deep, but has since shot 14 of 27 on his three-point attempts, including six of 12 against the Kings, to tie his career high.

“I just take better threes,” Wembanyama said. “Yes, of course I feel better. I’m 20 and hope to keep getting better for a few more years. There’s no reason for it to feel any worse.”

Monday’s game also featured some of Wembanyama’s trademark amazing defense, including a 360 block from Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis at the rim.

His teammate Chris Paul said this version of the 6-foot-2 center is far from the finished article.

“I wish you could see the work being done day in and day out,” the veteran point guard told reporters. “You know how talented he is, but his desire to get better, his desire to want to work on things – the more games we play, I think we all become more familiar with each other.”

The Spurs are 5-6 after the win and will host the Washington Wizards at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday.