Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to a dominant victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night in the NBA, as the Frenchman dazzled with 40 points. San Antonio has maybe the most exciting project in the NBA at the moment, with a young core of promising talent, with ‘Wemby’ at the forefront.
With a deep playoff berth beckoning, as they sit second in the Western Conference (37W, 16L), it is a prime chance for the big man to mark his legacy on the league early in his career.
Basketball fans will be keen to see how the 22-year-old fairs in what will be his first appearance in the playoffs, despite his consistent dominance in the regular season.
The Spurs will remain hopeful, though, as they have seemingly got the number of the reigning NBA champions and this year’s favourites, the Oklahoma City Thunder. They currently have a record of 4W, 1L against OKC in the 2025-26 season.
Despite many of the Spurs’ young players having never seen the playoffs, they brilliantly made the NBA Cup final back in December, where they ultimately lost, but it would have been an important opportunity for their players to play under pressure and in a similar scenario to what they face in the playoffs.
‘Wemby’ has faced heartbreak in his career, though, and this seems to energise players and make them even hungrier for success. At 20, France agonisingly lost out to the USA in the 2024 Olympics final, something that the centre has admitted is fuelling him every day.
Linking to his somewhat one-sided beef with OKC’s Chet Holmgren, the Frenchman also experienced a devastating loss in the FIBA under-19 World Cup Final in 2021, a game in which he fouled and missed late. He may only be 22, but it seems people are quick to forget that this is his third season in the NBA, and he has experienced losses that many players do not experience until late in their careers.
De’Aaron Fox seems vital to this Spurs roster, after being traded in early 2025, serving as the starting point guard this season.
He currently averages just under 20, but his experience is what makes him invaluable to San Antonio. Senior players such as Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk and Luke Kornet are also key role players for the Spurs, contributing to their success so far this season.
The fourth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Stephon Castle, also seems to be coming into his own at the right time, scoring 40 points the other night. At the other end, the second pick in the 2025 draft, Dylan Harper, seems to be struggling to settle in during his rookie season.
Ultimately, the young core of the Spurs highlights the quality of decisions being made by the front office over in San Antonio, after spending a few years trying to rebuild after the ‘Tim Duncan’ era. It might be too early to say that they have a future dynasty on their hands, but there is also no doubt that ‘Wemby’ is just waiting to explode and will likely dominate the league for years to come.