Friday was the first time San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama stepped on the iconic Los Angeles Lakers floor.
He did not disappoint in front of the L.A. crowd, putting up video games numbers with 27 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five blocks and five steals in 31 minutes. He became just the second rookie is league history to record a five-by-five.
The Lakers countered with LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the former leading the charge with 30 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. His co-star put up 28 points and 13 rebounds, which made for an entertaining matchup between these three players.
Despite it being the third meeting this season between the Lakers and Spurs, this game marked the first time that James, Davis and Wembanyama all shared the floor together.
As the Spurs continue to navigate through their rebuild, they definitely have a star to build around in Wembanyama. San Antonio battled but ultimately lost 123-118 to the Lakers. The No. 1 overall pick described L.A.’s duo as one of the best in the league but admitted lack of maturity led to the close loss.
“Of course it was challenging, one of the best duos in the league,” Wembanyama said of playing James and Davis. “But still, I think there’s a lot of teams we’ll beat if we play this way. But I think it came down to maturity in the end. Each and every one of us was making a mistake, little mistakes like missing layups, turning the ball over. It’s the little things. Because we went down, we got it to four or seven multiple times and this is when we made mistakes. So yeah, it’s maturity.”
The rookie knows that this process is going to take time, but having these experiences against two stars in James and Davis will bode going forward. Wembanyama is showing the makings of a generational defensive player by protecting the rim at a high level while also getting into passing lanes with his eight-foot wingspan.
As James nears the end of his career, his matchups with Wembanyama may be limited. But Davis has a number of good years left, so fans should look forward to more fun games between him and Wembanyama for years to come.
LeBron James believes Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama doesn’t have a ceiling
James got to see the rookie phenom up close and witness his special night in L.A. The 39-year-old has seen plenty of talent throughout his 21 seasons in the league, but he believes that Wembanyama doesn’t have a ceiling. Being the most storied prospect since James, it seems to be trending towards that direction.
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