19YO Victor Wembanyama Talks “Sacrifice” After Overcoming 1st Kevin Durant Challenge

It isn’t a common occurrence that a rookie’s ideal player comparison gets to have a match with them. However, as Kevin Durant got set for his first-ever matchup with Victor Wembanyama, that is the reality the NBA fandom found itself in. While the hype was building for Wemby, the imagination was an even taller version of Kevin Durant. With a similar skillset, the parallels were obvious. In a first-time-ever matchup, it was the newbie overcoming the master that made the headlines.
But it wasn’t just Wemby taking over that led to an unlikely come-from-behind victory for the Spurs. That collective effort led to a strong show of mentality from Victor.

Throughout their dynasty and under Coach Gregg Popovich’s tenure, the team has bred a team-first mentality. To this day, fans harken back to the ball-movement-heavy offense of the 2014 Spurs. It is that mentality that the team echoes to this day.
After a remarkable victory over the Phoenix Suns, Wembanyama was quick to point to what makes that idea successful.

Wemby’s KD matchup

After the win, Wembanyama appeared on Inside the NBA and was asked several questions, including how it felt playing against KD for the first time. Wemby replied with a cool “I mean KD, he’s just like in the highlights”. Describing Durant as his idol, he further explains how it felt amazing to play beside him, and how he had to ensure that he stayed locked in all the time.

The more Wembanyama talks, the clearer it becomes that he’s a top player with a very solid mentality. A good approach to the game, combined with a desire to make it to the top, there is no doubt that he will be a top ten player ever.

Spurs’ miraculous comeback

The San Antonio Spurs did not have the best start to the game. In fact, they were scoreless for almost the first three minutes. They trailed 63-45 at halftime. But a tremendous second-half turnaround, including a clutch bucket from Wemby, helped them narrow the Suns’ lead down to 1 point. Keldon Johnson then managed a superb defensive play, by getting a steal off Durant, and an easy layup to seal the game at 115-114. The lead that they took with 1.2 seconds left was their first of the game.

San Antonio in the 4th quarter is slowly becoming a very dangerous team to face, With their near comeback against Dallas and their comeback today, it seems like they plan to use Wemby as a battering ram to break teams down late in the game. And while it may have worked for them today, there’s no guarantee it always will.

Will this high-risk high-reward strategy take them to championship glory? Or will Wemby’s first NBA season be a disappointing failure? All we can do for now is wait and see.