Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic 50-point masterpiece to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Washington Wizards 139-130 Friday night, becoming the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to reach the milestone.
The 7-foot-4 rookie sensation shot 18 of 29 from the field, including 8 of 15 from three-point range, joining Karl-Anthony Towns as the only active 7-footers to score 50 points with eight three-pointers in a game.
“It’s getting started early,” Wembanyama said. “It’s the byproduct of trying to get in games quicker.”
The No. 1 overall draft pick scored 43 points in the first three quarters, including all eight 3-pointers, outdueling Wizards guard Jordan Poole’s 42-point effort.
Wembanyama becomes the eighth player in Spurs history to score 50, and the first since LaMarcus Aldridge’s 56-point performance against Oklahoma City in January 2019. He’s also the first Spur to reach 50 in regulation since David Robinson in 1994.
“He’s not human! He’s an alien!” Spurs broadcaster Jacob Tobey exclaimed during the game.
The French phenom remained focused despite the milestone. “Some days you feel great and you have bad games. Some days you feel bad and you have great games. It’s more like a minute-to-minute effort,” he said.
His historic night featured diverse scoring, mixing long-range shooting with interior dominance. Wembanyama added 6 of 9 free throws to complete his scoring outburst.
The performance highlighted Wembanyama’s unique combination of size and skill that made him one of the most anticipated rookies in NBA history. His ability to shoot from distance while protecting the rim has drawn comparisons to past NBA greats.
“I would love to celebrate the small wins and the big wins for a short amount of time,” Wembanyama said. “But tomorrow, we’re already locked in on the Lakers.”
The Spurs host the Los Angeles Lakers at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Frost Bank Center, where Wembanyama faces another opportunity to showcase his rapidly developing game.
