Victor Wembanyama had his first profession al triple-double Wednesday night, putting 16/12/10 against the ailing Detroit Pistons. Furthermore, the 21 minutes and 2 seconds Wembanyama needed to complete the feat made it the second-fastest triple-double of the shot clock era. The 22-point win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Spurs and moved them to 6-30 on the season. Meanwhile, the Pistons fell to 3-35 and extended their current losing streak to six games.
“Doing it in a win is everything, of course. I didn’t know it was the second fastest in NBA history. It matters to me. I’m not the type to talk for nothing. This is the kind of statement we want to make as a team, and this is type of statement I want to make as a player,” Wembanyama said after the game.
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Giannis Calls Victor Wembanyama “Special”
As Wembanyana’s magical rookie season continues, more and more players around the league are starting to take notice of his potential. Giannis Antetokounmpo had high praise for Victor Wembanyama following his first game against the rookie French phenom. “He’s special. He’s going to be an extremely good player. He plays the right way. He plays to win. I’ve never seen anything like him,” Giannis said after the Bucks’ 125-121 win. After Wembanyama blocked Giannis at the rim in the final minute of the game, the French star was able to set up a potential game-tying three. However, Tre Jones’ shot from the corner fell short. Wembanyama finished the game with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
As for Wembanyama himself, the praise from Giannis held extra weight as the Greek star was one of the players he watched the most growing up. “It’s always extra motivation, and I know I’m a competitor. So I want to go at everyone and be the bad guy on the court. So it was a great matchup. I’m trying to gain knowledge from as many great players as there are. Giannis is one of the players I’ve watched the most. The way he uses his body, he makes 100% of what he can do with his body. That’s something I look up to and I still look up to. It’s a player I know pretty well,” Wembanyama said.
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