Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama posts 5×5 night time in loss to Lakers

LOS ANGELES — Victor Wembanyama took questions on the podium sitting in entrance of a San Antonio Spurs banner and was instructed in regards to the statistical feat he had simply pulled off Friday night time towards the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wembanyama joined Jamaal Tinsley (2001) as the one NBA rookies to have a 5×5 sport — posting at the very least 5 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks in a sport — and have become simply the second participant to have 5 blocks and 5 steals in consecutive video games, becoming a member of Michael Jordan.

Wembanyama paused to contemplate Jordan’s feat after which requested, “I’m wondering if he did it in wins.”

Jordan, who did it in his third season, did the truth is do it in wins. Wembanyama did it in losses. Wembanyama’s Spurs misplaced 113-108 to the Lakers on Friday night time regardless of the rookie’s greatest efforts.

Wembanyama completed with 27 factors, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks to change into simply the fifteenth participant in NBA historical past to document a 5×5 and the primary since Jusuf Nurkic in 2019.

It got here only one night time after he narrowly missed the feat Thursday at Sacramento, falling one help quick. Wembanyama did change into the primary participant in NBA historical past to common a 5×5 over a two-game stretch since 1973-74, when blocks have been first recorded as an official stat.

Wembanyama performed 31 minutes, the fewest in a 5×5 sport, and at age 20, he grew to become the youngest participant to realize the statistical mark. He additionally grew to become the second participant with a line of 25 factors, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks and 5 steals, becoming a member of Hakeem Olajuwon, who did it 4 instances.

However these feats will not imply as a lot to Wembanyama, he stated, till they arrive in victories.

“To me, it is secondary,” Wembanyama stated. “Hopefully sooner or later, and assume this can be a good efficiency, however as of immediately, I can not be glad with a loss.”

The Lakers’ celebrity duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis was an excessive amount of for the younger Spurs to beat. James had 30 factors, 9 assists and seven rebounds, whereas Davis had 28 factors and 13 rebounds.

“In fact it was difficult [going against] probably the greatest duos within the league,” Wembanyama stated. “However nonetheless, I feel it is plenty of groups we beat if we play this manner.

“However I feel it got here all the way down to maturity on the finish as a result of each one in all us was making a mistake every of the instances. Little errors, lacking a layup, turning the ball over. We went down, we went again to down 4, down seven a number of instances, and that is once we did errors. So yeah, it is maturity.”

After the sport, James had nothing however excessive reward for Wembanyama.

“He does not have a ceiling,” James stated. “He can do no matter he needs to do together with his profession. It looks as if he enjoys the sport. It looks as if he places within the work. Simply from the skin trying in, I am not with him on a day-to-day foundation, however I stated a very long time in the past how particular he was, and it is actually that straightforward.

“So far as your query so far as havoc [defensively], there are guys in our league that you must account for any time you get across the rim or across the perimeter in our league historical past, and he sits proper on the prime of it, [if not] across the prime, with all of the greats.”

Requested about a few of the greatest rookies he has seen, James talked about gamers akin to Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

“He is one in all them to have like a stellar rookie season,” James stated. “Guys which have are available in and [dominated]. However it’s, are you able to maintain it? We have had guys which have are available in and simply been actually rattling [good]. I feel the one factor that Wemby has above all the fellows that I type of named is you see his size.

“You see how tall he’s and his size. This man subsequent to me,” James stated, pointing to Davis, “possesses plenty of size, and he is like much more than AD. In order that what makes it slightly bit totally different.”

Friday’s loss dropped the Spurs to 11-46 on the season. It was their tenth loss in 11 video games.

However Wembanyama’s teammates know that the frequent losses will not be there ceaselessly, partially due to how a lot of a difference-maker the rookie is and will be.

“I simply assume that he is displaying how particular he’s,” Spurs guard Devin Vassell instructed ESPN. “Clearly we all know what we’re constructing round. We all know what we have now, and it is simply powerful as a result of I talked about it yesterday. You are sitting right here and also you compete night time in and night time out, day in and day trip, and you are not successful.

“It is clearly powerful. We’re all the time going to remain on him. He needs to be nice, and we recognize that and we’re not simply him, however I feel all of us wish to be nice.”

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.