AP Photo/Sarah Phipps
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama showed exactly why he was selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft during his preseason debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 19-year-old forward scored 20 points in just 19 minutes, adding five rebounds and two steals. The 7’3″ French phenom went 8-13 from the field, including a respectable 2-5 from behind the arc.
Thunder forward Chet Holmgren also made his preseason debut, finishing with 21 points and 9 rebounds in his 16 minutes on the floor while hitting seven of his ten field goals. He also connected on each of his two three-point attempts.
The 2022 second-overall pick missed his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot that he suffered in the offseason prior to his first year.
Oklahoma City ended up winning by the final score of 122-121.
Fans were enthralled by the battle of the top picks, with each player showcasing the ball-handling and shooting abilities that made them such enticing prospects.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Wemby’s first dunk of his NBA career 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aiwPUdUVGe
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
WEMBY AND-1 THEN FLEXES ON CHET 😳 pic.twitter.com/GMHphvjayH
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
Chet flexed then hit the Shedeur 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7GkJWDwUXV
NBA @NBA
WEMBY SAYS NO ⛔️
…for the first of many times.
Watch live on NBA TV: https://t.co/htyakZeFve pic.twitter.com/FF1EkDJ0WB
Eric Salinas @EricSal_7
I love how competitive Wemby’s demeanor is tonight.
He wants it.
Different breed.
Esfandiar Baraheni @JustEsBaraheni
Wemby’s recovery ability is so ridiculous
People talk about catch-radius but there’s Wemby sort of has that on defense? His recovery radius is bigger than anyone.
Eric Salinas @EricSal_7
Wemby is looking confident — imprints everywhere on both ends.
Best player on the floor and it’s not close.
Quan @TheFinalQuan
Guys – Wemby is for real
Matthew Tynan @Matthew_Tynan
Wemby just disrupted Oklahoma City’s entire offensive sequence by himself then beats everyone down the floor for a dunk. Yikes.
Tom Petrini @RealTomPetrini
Wemby just crossed Chet and drove directly through his face for an and-1 😳
ᵂᴵᴸᴸ @BiasedHouston
Yeah. The future of the center position is safe with Chet Holmgren and Wemby out there.
NBA University @NBA_University
Watching Chet & Wemby is like watching a future version of basketball
The Spurs’ next preseason game is against the Miami Heat on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City will face off with the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
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