Victor Wembanyama believes 'mental toughness' makes Spurs a different breed vs. Thunder
· Yahoo Sports
Victor Wembanyama stood hands on hips, eyes drifting from the quiet crowd to the Spurs bench inside Paycom Center.
Time almost froze around him for a brief moment. Just hours after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hoisted his second consecutive NBA MVP trophy in front of 18,203 fans, the spotlight quickly shifted toward the league’s towering French phenom.
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And for good reason.
Wembanyama delivered a performance fit for NBA lore, powering the Spurs to a 122-115 double-overtime win over the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
In just his 10th career playoff game, Wembanyama erupted for 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists and three blocks across 49 minutes.
It was the kind of performance that sparks debates of who owns the crown for best player in the world.
“Do I feel like it right now? I feel tired,” Wembanyama said after being asked whether he believes he’s the league’s best player. “But it’s not a question I’m wondering right now. We’ll see. The world is eight billion people, so it’s eight billion opinions.”
The 22-year-old became just the fourth player in NBA history to post at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a conference finals game alongside Charles Barkley, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone.
“I think that young man has a rare desire to step into every moment that's in front of him,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said about Wembanyama. “He’s shown in his three years — in a lot of different situations with a lot of different circumstances — that he's going to attack those moments. It doesn't mean they'll always work out for him or be exactly the outcome that he wants, but he has some rare, God-given ability.”
Wembanyama wasn’t alone in raising the stakes.
Spurs rookie Dylan Harper authored a historic night of his own in his first career playoff start.
Harper finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals and six assists while committing just one turnover in 47 minutes. The outing placed him alongside Magic Johnson as the only rookies in NBA history to post at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a postseason game.
Harper drew the start after Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox was ruled a late scratch because of a right ankle injury.
“I think connectedness is kind of my calling card,” Harper said. “When it gets to the end of the game, that’s something we’re going to rely on every time. Just being connected on defense and making sure we’re all playing team defense, not just one-on-one.”
As usual, Harper lived in the paint. Wembanyama and Stephon Castle relentlessly attacked downhill as well, collapsing the Thunder defense and generating open looks for Harper, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie from deep.
San Antonio’s dominance inside, outscoring Oklahoma City 52-38 in the paint, loomed as one of the game’s defining factors. It remains a aspect to key an eye on for the rest of the series.
“Certainly, Wembanyama getting around the basket and being able to dunk the ball — or us having to foul out of weakness to prevent a layup — isn’t sustainable,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “The more you give those up, those are very predictably efficient shots. Clearly, we need to do a better job there.”
The anticipation surrounding Monday night stretched far beyond a typical playoff opener.
This series arrived carrying the weight of the NBA’s future.
A clash between two rising superpowers, both literally and figuratively. Two elite front offices. Two innovative coaching staffs. And perhaps most importantly, two franchise cornerstones poised to define the league’s next era.
If Game 1 proved anything, it’s that the NBA may already be witnessing its next great rivalry take shape in real time.
“Being stronger as the years go on, and the mental toughness — you have to have it all the time,” Wembanyama said. “And yes, it takes a toll, but we will rest in July.”
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @thejordancdavis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Victor Wembanyama says 'mental toughness' makes Spurs different breed