Victor Wembayama is building his case for some hardware.
The NBA Rookie of the Year will be announced two months from now. What was shaping up before Thursday night to prove a mere formality has seemingly taken shape. That is, to everyone but San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
“No, because there’s still 22 games left. So, no, it’s not over,” is how Wemby responded when asked by ClutchPoints if he thought the ROY race between him and Chet Holmgren ended in the Spurs 132-118 win vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Spurs post-game
Asked Vic about tonight’s domination down the stretch & whether he thinks the #NBA Rookie of the Year race ended tonight…
“No…”
Full answers⬇️
Also later said ROY is important to him because he knows he has to play at a high level for #Spurs to have success pic.twitter.com/wTqiaNsjNl
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) March 1, 2024
Victor Wembanayama dominates Chet Holmgren down the stretch
The Spurs’ top overall pick in this past summer’s draft finished with more points, more rebounds, more blocks, more assists, and more steals in fewer minutes Thursday than his Thunder counterpart.
More importantly, Wembanyama hit two late key three-pointers that would eventually prove daggers before supplying the highlight of the night.
With the Thunder looking to rally from a nine-point deficit with just under two minutes remaining, Holmgren tried to put some moves on his San Antonio counterpart before creating some space and going up for a jumper.
Wemby blocked it.
he said NOOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/5IYmqu4E9B
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 1, 2024
He probably blocked the former Gonzaga star’s chances of winning NBA Rookie of the Year as well.
“It’s very important for me because I am who I am. I’m with an organization that trusts me. I’m convinced that the best way for me to help my team is to individually perform for the whole season. So, yes, individual awards, like Rookie of the Year are very important for me,” the 20-year-old French sensation admitted.
Add 28 more points, 13 more rebounds, 7 more assists plus 5 more blocks to a season that inches closer to that reality every game. Especially this one.
About the Author
Hector Ledesma has been covering the Spurs in San Antonio since 2005, but he has been following them for even longer than that. An award-winning journalist born and raised in San Antonio, Hector has worked across all types of television and radio platforms. His work extends online and through social media (@HectorLedesmaTV) where he continues that work with ClutchPoints.
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