Wembanyama was part of the Team Pau, a roster of rookies coached by Hall of Famer Pau Gasol. Sochan wasn’t initially part of the event but was drafted in as a replacement for Shaedon Sharpe on Jalen Rose’s Team Jalen. The other two teams are headed by retired WNBA star Tamika Catchings and former Dallas Mavericks star Detlef Schrempf.

Before the tournament, members of Team Pau were asked in an interview who they were looking forward to throwing lobs to in the Rising Stars game. Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez. Jr. and Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski answered Wembanyama. The Warriors rookie added,

“You can’t mess up a lob [to Victor Wembanyama.]”

The camera immediately panned to Sochan, who reluctantly nodded his head in agreement.

Nah camera man knew what he was doing pic.twitter.com/ozCUi3Ix8A

— BrickMuse (@BrickMuse) February 16, 2024

Fans on social media immediately identified the cameraman’s blatant attempt to catch Sochan’s reaction to Podziemski’s claim about throwing lobs to Wembanyama. The Spurs star has been heavily criticized for not passing the ball to his rookie teammate. Since the start of the season, fans have clipped videos of Sochan not passing to Wembanyama when he’s in an easy scoring position.

Bro saw Wemby open at the rim and does THIS pic.twitter.com/92EIzmN7pk

— BrickMuse (@BrickMuse) December 22, 2023

Sochan jokingly admitted on X, formerly called Twitter, that Podziemski exposed him with his answer about throwing lobs to Wembanyama.

They got me https://t.co/3cKXyes6qN

— Jeremy Sochan (@JeremySochan) February 16, 2024

Sochan is a power forward thrust into the point guard position because the Spurs did not employ a playmaker who could start games. Naturally, the young star struggled with playmaking duties and caught a lot of flak for it on social media. He was targeted for not passing to Wembanyama and settling for contested shots. He was taken off playing duties in January, which has made life on social media easier for the third-year star.

Victor Wembanyama’s uptick in form with Tre Jones

After 33 games, the Spurs gave up on the Jeremy Sochan experiment and inserted Tre Jones into their starting lineup as the point guard. The move worked wonders. Spurs’ offensive rating went up from 108.3 to 113.5. Their points per game improved from 110.9 to 113.1 and their turnovers dropped from 15 per game to 13.8.

The biggest beneficiaries of Jones’ inclusion as the starter have been Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell. The Spurs’ two best offensive players have seen an uptick in their stats since the change. With Sochan at point guard, Wembanyama averaged 18.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 3.1 blocks, while Vassell averaged 18.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and three assists. Since Jones became the primary ball handler, Wembanyama has averaged 20.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 blocks. Vassell’s averages increased to 19.9 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds.

Odds to win NBA Rookie of the Year at #BetMGM

Last Week
Chet Holmgren -190
Victor Wembanyama +125

Now
Chet Holmgren +220
Victor Wembanyama -275

28% of bets (most) are on Chet to win award.

57% of money (most) is on Wemby. pic.twitter.com/DVeAN2hHeU

— John Ewing (@johnewing) February 6, 2024

Jones becoming the Spurs’ starting point guard has helped Wembanyama the most. His improved numbers over the last five weeks have helped him gain ground on Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren in the Rookie of the Year award race. The Spurs sensation is now the firm favourite to take home the trophy.

The Spurs’ improvement on offense with Jones at point guard begs the question of why Sochan was forced into playing as the point guard. The third-year star did not have the passing ability or the court vision to play the position. The Spurs’ coaching staff put into the critics’ crosshairs by forcing him to play a role he wasn’t comfortable in. However, they’ve rectified their mistake, and everyone’s better off.

The post “Wemby, You Can’t Mess Up A Lob”: Jeremy Sochan Takes Ownership Over Not Throwing Victor Wembanyama Proper Alleys appeared first on The SportsRush.

On the other end of things, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama put up 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished five assists but was powerless in stopping the Mavericks duo from cruising to victory. Legendary head coach Greg Popovich attested the same and credited Doncic and Irving for their spectacular display. In the post-game press conference, he said,

“I thought Luka and Kyrie played like Hall of Fame players. They were fantastic. We couldn’t do anything with them, but also a lot of good things for the young guys that we can build on.”

“I thought Luka and Kyrie played like Hall of Fame players. They were fantastic. We couldn’t do anything with them, but also a lot of good things for the young guys that we can build on,” – Popovich on loss v Mavs #porvida #nba #sanantonio #gospursgo

— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) February 15, 2024

The Spurs’ young stars, including Wembanyama, were given a free lesson in offensive mastery by Irving and Doncic. The veteran guard left the rookie bamboozled with one of his signature finishes. After breezing past Wembanyama with a ‘hesi’, Irving banked a ridiculous no-look shot that shook the arena.

Kyrie Irving x Victor Wembanyama pic.twitter.com/AatS7CcJ6p

— NBA do Povo (@NBAdoPovo) February 15, 2024

When Doncic and Irving are on song, no player or defensive scheme can hope to contain them, much less stop them. As a result, the Spurs dropped to 11-44 and remain rooted to the bottom of the standings, while the Mavericks improved to 32-23 and sit only one game behind the fifth-placed Phoenix Suns. And given the way they are playing, it may not be long before the Mavericks usurp them as well.

Victor Wembanyama calls out Spurs teammates after loss vs. Mavericks

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama wasn’t too pleased with his team’s effort in their 23-point loss to the Mavericks. In the post-game press conference, he was asked why the team had such a poor outing, and he replied,

“Making shots, shot making, we weren’t good tonight. It happens.”

“Making shots, shot making, we weren’t good tonight. It happens,” – Wembanyama on loss v Mavs #porvida #nba #sanantonio

— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) February 15, 2024

Wembanyama is spot on in criticizing the Spurs’ inefficient shooting against the Mavericks. They banked only 36 of their 99 shot attempts, including a disappointing 10-of-40 from beyond the arc. Apart from the rookie, no other starter scored more than 11 points. Despite being the youngest player on the roster, the onus is seemingly always on Wembanyama to carry the Spurs to victory, which is reflected in their 11-44 record.

While the rest of the Spurs roster will embark on a small break, Wembanyama and teammate Jeremy Sochan will head to Indiana for the 2024 All-Star weekend. The former is part of Team Pau, while the latter is in Team Jalen in the Rising Stars tournament. The rookie is also part of Team Top Picks in the Skills Challenge alongside Anthony Edwards and Paolo Banchero.

Wembanyama is averaging 20 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 3.2 blocks. The Spurs rookie is already playing at a high level. Expect him to become a perennial part of the All-Star weekend in the coming years.

The post “Luka and Kyrie Played Like Hall of Fame Players”: Mavericks Stars Get ‘Huge’ Praise From Gregg Popovich Following 23 Point Win Over Spurs appeared first on The SportsRush.

The key to their success has, unsurprisingly, been Luka Doncic‘s terrific form. He has averaged 30.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 11.6 assists per game during the Mavericks’ five-game winning streak. The Mavericks will play for the final time on Wednesday before Doncic heads to Indiana for the 2024 All-Star game. However, they could rest their superstar guard in their game against the Detroit Pistons.

Doncic suffered a nasal contusion before the Mavericks’ game against the Brooklyn Nets, which was diagnosed as a broken nose. Despite the severity of the injury, he played with a protective mask in the Mavs’ last four games and could opt to do the same against the Victor Wembanyama-led San Antonio Spurs. His status for the game has been officially listed as “probable” in the Mavs’ latest injury report, meaning he’s expected to play tonight at the American Airlines Center before heading to Indiana for the All-Star weekend.

Luka Doncic (nose) listed probable for Wednesday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) February 13, 2024

With the Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Pelicans only one game ahead and the Sacramento Kings only half a game behind in the tight race for the automatic qualification spots for the playoffs, Doncic and the Mavericks wouldn’t risk losing ground and would field their superstar guard against the Spurs. However, the Mavs would still be the favorites against the 11-43 Spurs without Doncic playing.

Can Luka Doncic win the MVP award?

With Joel Embiid officially out of the picture after missing his 18th game of the season, the MVP award is a four-horse race between Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic. The Denver Nuggets superstar is the favorite to win the award. However, Doncic’s recent form has seen him climb two spots in the Kia MVP ladder. If he continues playing in the same vein, he could soon isolate Jokic and make the MVP award a two-horse race.

The Mavericks’ record is the only thing hindering Doncic’s odds. Dallas is seventh in the Western Conference standings, and no player in NBA history has won the MVP award after their team has finished that low in the table. Russell Westbrook won the award in 2017 when the Oklahoma City Thunder finished sixth in the Western Conference standings. However, he won it because he became only the second player in NBA history after Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double.

Doncic is averaging 34.3 points, 9.6 assists, and 8.8 rebounds. He has the scoring title on lock, with Embiid set to fail to hit the 70% eligibility mark to qualify for the award. However, if he can guide the Mavericks to the fifth or a higher position in the Western Conference standings, he would win his maiden MVP award.

The post Is Luka Doncic Playing Tonight vs Spurs? Feb 14th Injury Report for 2024 All-Star Starter appeared first on The SportsRush.

With around 10 seconds remaining on the game clock and the New Orleans Pelicans trailing by one point, CJ McCollum had an exceptional effort on the defensive end, preventing Tre Jones from hitting the layup. However, Victor Wembanyama was wide open under the basket. Every fan was certain that Wemby would be able to flush down the putback. But, Brandon Ingram jumped and swatted away the 7ft 4” center’s attempt.

Grabbing the ball off the glass, Jose Alverado quickly passed the rock to Zion Williamson. Despite being surrounded by three players, Williamson knocked down a layup with only 3.8 seconds remaining on the clock.

Ingram block then a clutch finish by Zion pic.twitter.com/iu2jFaQuHg

— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) February 3, 2024

Following the win, the 6ft 6” forward shed light on the importance of Ingram’s defensive play. Zion even revealed how he let BI know about the same via a text.

“I sent him a text message right after the game cause he was already doing his lift, BI if you dont get that block, I dont think we’re winning this game,” Williamson said.

“I sent him a text message right after the game cause he was already doing his lift, BI if you dont get that block, I dont think we’re winning this game”

— Zion on Ingram’s block and his clutch basket pic.twitter.com/gprRDnb6Dw

— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) February 3, 2024

The southpaw also appreciated his coach and teammates for trusting him with the ball during the clutch situation.

“My coach trusts me in transition, my teammates trust me. That’s why Jose kicked it ahead and I had to go finish,” Williamson expressed gratitude.

Brandon Ingram deserves a lot more credit for the defensive play. Had it not been for Ingram’s block, the Pels would’ve had to find a way to drill a three-pointer only to send the game to overtime. And with the Louisiana side only shooting 29.6% from beyond the arc, it would’ve been difficult for them to find the game-tying bucket.

Zion Williamson lauds Victor Wembanyama after the entertaining duel

The Zion Williamson-Victor Wembanyama matchup lived up to its hype. While Wemby recorded a solid 16-point, 14-rebound double-double with 7 assists and 3 blocks, Williamson put up a stellar 33-point, 8-rebound outing.

Following their entertaining duel, Williamson dished out some praise to the #1 pick of the 2023 draft. The former Duke Blue Devil stated how the French phenom was a “special” talent with the capabilities of winning multiple Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player trophies.

“Victor’s a very special player. We were just talking about in the locker room, he’s a dude that can get two or three Defensive Player of the Years. I don’t want to put no label on it, but he can get Defensive Player of the Years and MVPs. We haven’t seen nothing like that. We’ve seen things close, but not like that,” Zion said.

“We haven’t seen nothing like that…he’s an amazing player.”

Zion with big praise for Wemby after battling tonight pic.twitter.com/tWmWwjeWRZ

— NBA (@NBA) February 3, 2024

Even after his first meeting with Wemby, Zanos dished out advice. Following the 17^th December clash, the Pelicans forward had a genuine message for the youngster – “keep focusing on your craft”.

“My advice to him is just keep focusing on your craft. I mean, you didn’t get that hype for no reason. So just keep focusing on your craft, keep your head on straight, and you’ll be fine,” Williamson stated.

Following Zion’s advice, Wembanyama has shifted gears and improved drastically. In January, the rookie lodged a staggering 24 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game. Leading all rookies in points, rebounds, and blocks, Victor Wembanyama has established himself as a frontrunner to win the Rookie of the Year award.

The post “Brandon Ingram, if You Don’t Get That Block…”: Zion Williamson Credits Pelicans Teammate After Game-Winning Bucket Against Spurs appeared first on The SportsRush.

In the first few months of the campaign, Zion Williamson was dealing with a pain in his quad. Ahead of the clash against the Houston Rockets, the 6ft 6” forward was sidelined with a bone contusion in his left foot. Citing the same injury, the NOLA franchise has added Williamson to the injury report, listing him as “questionable”.

Injury report tomorrow against Spurs:

Herb Jones (right adductor soreness) questionable
Zion Williamson (left foot; bone contusion) questionable
Larry Nance Jr. (left ankle soreness) questionable

— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) February 1, 2024

Willie Green gave an update on Zion and Herb Jones’ injury. As per the head coach of the Pelicans, the two players did practice on Friday and were feeling better. However, he didn’t reveal if the players would be available tonight or not.

“They got on the floor today, they did some movement, went through practice so they’re feeling better. But, I’m sure tomorrow we’ll get an update and it would probably be more of a game time decision,” Green said.

Aside from Herb Jones and Zion Williamson, Larry Nance Jr. is also added to the injury report as “questionable”. In bright news, Cody Zeller has been upgraded to “available”.

Zion Williamson doesn’t get selected for his 3^rd All-Star Team

Zion Williamson has had an injury-riddled career. After playing merely 85 regular season games in his first two seasons, the former Duke Blue Devil was sidelined for the entirety of the 2021-2022 season. In the 2022-2023 season, Williamson injured his hamstring and was out for the season after only playing 29 games.

In this campaign, Zanos has managed to prevent any major injuries. Through the first 48 games, the youngster has only missed 10 games. However, when healthy, he has only been averaging 22 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.

Clearly, his stats aren’t as visually appealing as they’ve been in the past. While fans of NOLA are annoyed at Williamson being snubbed from the 2024 All-Star Game, it isn’t surprising that he didn’t receive a third All-Star nod.

The post Is Zion Williamson Playing Tonight vs Spurs? Feb 2nd Injury Report Issue by Pelicans for All-Star Snub appeared first on The SportsRush.

The Frenchman immediately pointed towards the animal and was seen making a disgusted face. The referees immediately took stock of the situation and halted the game. As soon as the play came to a halt, the half-bat-half-coyote mascot ran to the floor with a net to capture the animal.

It took the mascot several unsuccessful attempts before he captured the animal. His actions led the fans and players to give him a huge ovation. This included Manu Ginobili, who was in attendance for the game. Coincidentally, Ginobili faced a similar situation in 2009 during a game against the Sacramento Kings. This led to the NBA’s official Instagram handle sharing the video in a post.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by NBA (@nba)

In 2009, however, Ginobili did not need the mascot to take care of the animal. During the game, when everyone was trying to get away from the bat, a fearless Ginobili casually knocked the bat out with one blow. He then proceeded to pick up the bat and hand it over to the workers on the sidelines. The actions of the Spurs’ legend left the crowd amazed as they gave him a rousing applause.

Bats have entered the Spurs’ arena on previous occasions

Bats seem to have a fascination for Spurs basketball as they have often interrupted games in the San Antonio Arena. In 2019, during a game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans, the animal entered the arena and had the players running helter-skelter. The referees were forced to halt that game again.

This time around, Manu was not there to save the day, but the arena had the mascot ready. The mascot was wearing the exact same costume as was observed in last night’s game. It took Batman with a coyote face just two attempts to capture the bat and have him removed from the arena. At this rate, the San Antonio Spurs organization may have to give the mascot a permanent job catching bats.

The post Amid Victor Wembanyama’s Disgust, Manu Ginobili Knocking Down a Loose Bat in the Stadium Resurfaces appeared first on The SportsRush.

Wembanyama is a physical anomaly. Towering at 7ft 4”, Wemby can pull off some sensational things on the basketball court. However, being listed at 210lb, the rookie is one of the lightest centers in the league. Having a lanky frame, he is bound to get pushed around by the bigger guys. Hence, gaining some muscle weight will certainly help the 20-year-old to hold his ground.

However, Wemby is regulating his weight training. According to the European prodigy, he is choosing not to “lift too much” to prevent messing his jump shot up.

Wembanyama says he’s been lifting weights more ever since he stopped growing but not lifting too much to mess up his shot #SanAntonio #porvida #nba

— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) January 28, 2024

While still playing for the French league’s Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama’s workout focused a lot on developing strength in his legs. Guillaume Alquier, the strength and conditioning coach of the Mets 92, revealed the importance of the same while explaining how adding a substantial amount of weight to his training could have a detrimental effect.

“The most important thing is to have strength in the legs, to produce force to play basketball: To play inside, to play D, post up, everything… He’s adding some weight normally, but not 10 pounds, or 20 pounds every month. That could be difficult for his motor control, his knees, his joints,” Alquier said.

Wembanyama also includes a lot of stretching in his workout. By being an extremely flexible athlete, Wemby can avoid injuries.

During a contest against the Houston Rockets, the unicorn twisted his ankle. Videos of the same seemed horrific to look at. However, the youngster managed to walk it off and return to action as if nothing ever happened.

Victor Wembanyama lauds the Spurs after the win over the Wolves

The San Antonio Spurs were the underdogs entering the contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, putting up an incredible display, Gregg Popovic’s boys managed to defeat the #1 team of the Western Conference.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the powerhouses capable of competing for the title. Hence, the Spurs will be extremely content with the win. Wemby even labelled the win as the Texas side’s best victory of the season.

Wembanyama says win tonight is the best win of the season, team feels proud about the win #nba #porvida #SanAntonio

— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) January 28, 2024

Anthony Edwards did have a terrific performance, putting up 32 points and 12 assists. Further, the duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert also combined for 38 points and 12 rebounds. However, the impressive outing of the Wolves All-Star trio was eclipsed by Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vessell’s performance.

While Vessell put up a 25-point performance, Wembanyama was sensational as he recorded a 230-point, 10-rebound double-double to go along with two blocks & steals.

The post Out Of Fear Of Messing Up His Jumpshot, 210lb Victor Wembanyama Admits To Regulating His Weight Lifting appeared first on The SportsRush.

Despite the Spurs suffering a 140-114 blowout loss, Victor Wembanyama had an excellent display. Continuing to play on a minutes restriction, the French phenom found a way to capitalize on the 27:46 minutes of game time. Shooting 50% from the field, Wemby finished the night with 24 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks.

Victor Wembanyama 24-12-4-1-4 pic.twitter.com/SSgJcN0MrE

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) January 25, 2024

Throughout the game, the #1 pick of the 2023 Draft witnessed numerous different defenders guarding him. Aside from Chet Holmgren, the OKC also deployed the likes of Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, and Aaron Wiggins to try and prevent Wemby from going on a scoring rampage.

During the postgame press conference, the Spurs center spoke about the Thunder’s unique defensive strategy. Implying that the strategy didn’t work to the fullest, the European prodigy stated that he was too big for the smaller and too fast for the taller defenders.

“Having smaller guys (guard me) gives me some easy buckets sometimes. Matching me up with the bigger guys allows me to be faster than them,” Wemby said.

Every basketball enthusiast was hoping to see Wemby and Chet guard each other. Hector Ledesma also asked the 20-year-old whether he would’ve liked to go up against Holmgren, almost in a classic one-on-one style. Being as humble as he could, the youngster explained how he was accustomed to being double-teamed all season long.

“I never really play one on one’s all year. It’s always one on two,” Wembanyama said.

Spurs postgame

Asked Victor a couple of questions about how OKC guarded him as opposed to him checking Chet.

“I never really play one on one’s. It’s one on two.”

Full answers to a couple of questions…#Spurs #GoSpursGo #PorVida pic.twitter.com/oIDpFcVCGx

— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 25, 2024

The 7ft 4” unicorn had several highlight plays. However, there was one that stood out. At one point of the heated contest, Wembanyama threw down a dunk on Chet. Later, quite unlike him, Victor not only stared Holmgren down but also flexed on him.

With Holmgren coming back to barge into him, there seems to be a little bit of a rivalry developing here. With both big men clearly being up for the challenge of showing up one another, this duel has the potential to arguably be the most entertaining in this upcoming decade in the NBA. However, for this contest to truly reach its potential, the San Antonio Spurs will have to get a lot better in its totality. If the franchise can achieve this, there will be more meaning to this budding rivalry which could intensify their future matchups.

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren’s head-to-head stats

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are on a different level as compared to the other rookies in the 2023 draft class. Despite their young age, these two players have been fulfilling some massive tasks that they’ve been delegated with.

Wembanyama has been one of the most hyped prospects since LeBron James. Managing to meet such surreal expectations, he has been averaging 20.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game this season.

On the other side of things, Chet Holmgren is averaging 17.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. However, while his numbers are lower, Chet has played a huge role in the Thunder sitting at the top-most position in the West with a 31-13 record.

The talented youngsters have faced off against each other twice already. While Wembanyama is averaging more points (16 to Chet’s 13), rebounds (13 to Chet’s 8), and blocks (3 to Chet’s 2), Holmgren has been on the victorious side on both occasions.

WEMBY VS. CHET FOR THE 2ND TIME! Victor Wembanyama & Chet Holmgren squared off in Oklahoma City’s 140-116 blowout WIN over San Antonio!

Wemby: 24 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST, 4 BLK, 9/18 FGM, 27 MIN
Chet: 17 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK, 7/13 FGM, 30 MIN

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 32 PTS, 10 AST,… pic.twitter.com/Iy2V0eanUl

— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) January 25, 2024

Chet Holmgren was announced as the Rookie of the Month for October, November, and December over Victor Wembanyama. However, in January, Wembanyama has elevated his performance, averaging 24.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. The increase in his production has gotten Wembanyama to shift up to the #1 spot on the past few rookie ladders.

Wemby and Chet face off next week @Kia Rookie Ladder: https://t.co/5XGEKcMQKN pic.twitter.com/g0lQsDFBZr

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 17, 2024

The Spurs star will be the favorite to win the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January. Additionally, there is no doubt that he is also the frontrunner to lift the prestigious Rookie of the Year award.

The post “Gives Me Some Easy Baskets”: Victor Wembanyama Reflects on Thunder’s Defense as Spurs Fall Short 140–114 appeared first on The SportsRush.

Joining Michael Jordan, Embiid is the only other player in league history to record 65+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a single game. During the postgame interview, the interviewer enlightened Embiid about the impressive record that he achieved.

The interviewer told Embiid, “You and Michael Jordan are the only NBA players to put 65 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in a game. What does that mean to you?

Instead of being proud of himself, JoJo’s first reaction was to ask the interviewer about Wilt Chamberlain. He couldn’t believe that Chamberlain never put the same stats.

“Wilt(Wilt Chamberlain) never did this?!… I don’t believe that,” Joel said.

Joel Embiid’s funny reaction on joining Michael Jordan as the only players to have 65+ points, 15+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a game:

“Wilt never did this?!” pic.twitter.com/ikk1yEsVSn

— Oh no he didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) January 23, 2024

Not only Embiid, but many NBA fans would also have had the same question, given Wilt’s records. Throughout his 14-year career, Wilt the Stilt put up some jaw-dropping numbers and had some incredible records to his name. Back in 1962, Chamberlain even finished the regular season with an average of 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game. Wilt also holds the record for most points in an NBA game scoring 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in 1962. Hence, it’s not impractical for one to assume that Chamberlain would’ve recorded 65+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a game.

Joel Embiid recorded 70 points, 18 rebounds, and 5 assists, against Spurs, becoming the second player to reach the above-mentioned feat. The first player to achieve the same – Michael Jordan. Back in 1990, during the Chicago Bulls-Cleveland Cavaliers, MJ erupted for his career-high of 69 points. The 6ft 6” guard also lodged 18 rebounds and 6 assists, leading the Bulls to a 117-113 win.

Further, Embiid had a one-of-a-kind performance. According to Basketball Reference, no player has ever recorded the same stats as the reigning MVP.

Embiid tonight:

70 PTS
18 REB
5 AST

No player in our database has ever matched these numbers in a game. pic.twitter.com/jkz9metmGo

— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) January 23, 2024

Joel Embiid has often praised Wilt Chamberlain

While LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the frontrunners for the GOAT title, Wilt Chamberlain doesn’t receive the recognition that he deserves. However, Joel Embiid has often expressed his admiration for Chamberlain.

Back in 2019, Embiid revealed that Wilt was his selection for the GOAT argument. During an appearance on the Ringer’s NBA Desktop, the Sixers big man stated that the league wouldn’t ever witness another 100-point performance.

“[Jordan] is not the G.O.A.T,” Embiid said. “To me, you got Wilt Chamberlain. He’s got all the records, and no one is ever gonna beat them. I don’t see anyone ever getting 100 points in a game. That’s it, he’s the G.O.A.T.”

On a special #NBAAllStar edition of #NBADesktop, we’ve got:

@JoelEmbiid on the GOAT debate
@KlayThompson on Michael Jordan’s fashion
Bob Myers ducking questions about KD to the Knicks pic.twitter.com/0BxBwvu12z

— RingerNBA (@ringernba) February 19, 2019

Earlier in 2022, JoJo joined Chamberlain as the only Sixer to lodge 40-point triple-doubles. Sharing the record with Wilt, the 2023 MVP had some lofty praises for the legend.

“Wilt, he’s got all the records, but it’s good. Gotta keep going. That’s what I have to be, that’s how dominant I have to be,” Embiid said.

While it may be difficult to replicate Chamberlain’s 100-point outing, Joel has been doing a great job in joining him in the record books. So far, the 29-year-old is having an incredible season, recording 36.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.

The post “Wilt Chamberlain Never Did This?!”: Joel Embiid Is Shocked At Michael Jordan And Him Being The Only Players To Ever Put Up His Statline appeared first on The SportsRush.

Victor Wembanyama had a solid performance in the Spurs’ win over the Pistons. The French phenom erupted for a historic triple-double. The 7ft 4” sensation managed to follow his outstanding performance with a huge 26-point, 11-rebound double-double while leading the Texas side to a dominant 36-point win.

Victor Wembanyama tonight:

26 PTS
11 REB
1 AST
2 BLK
64.3 FG% (9/14)
66.7 3P% (2/3)
100.0 FT% (6/6)
20 MINS

The Chosen One pic.twitter.com/cOQu6w4aRK

— Spurs Culture (@SpursCulture) January 13, 2024

During the postgame conference, Wemby was asked to reflect upon the unbelievable numbers that he had been putting up while being on a minutes restriction. Answering the same, the 20-year-old revealed having his “goals in mind” all the time. Backing himself up, after getting snubbed for December’s Rookie of the Month honors, a determined Wembanyama said:

“I’ve been trying to be locked in on every play. Every time I step on the court, I got my goals in mind, every time I dunk the ball, got my goals in mind… I’m not talking for nothing.”

Spurs postgame

Asked #VictorWembsbyama if, considering numbers he’s putting up in limited time, he truly is trying to make every game a ‘statement from now on’ as he told me last week…

“I’ve been trying to be locked in on every play…
…I’m not talking for nothing”

Answer pic.twitter.com/29kSqPbqxV

— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 13, 2024

It is evident that Wembanyama has been approaching each game with a determination to prove his naysayers wrong. Not having won either of the two Rookie of the Month awards, Wemby has shifted gears. After averaging 18.1 points in the first three months of the campaign, the youngster has taken things up a notch, putting up 22.6 points in January.

Victor Wembanyama is back at #1 on the rookie ladder

Victor Wembanyama received some disappointing news to begin the year. Apart from finishing 7^th among Western Conference frontcourt players in the All-Star voting result, the San Antonio Spurs center also couldn’t get his hands on the prestigious Rookie of the Month award.

After an exciting clash between the Spurs and the Milwaukee Bucks, Wemby displayed an elite mentality towards numerous accolades that he’s in the reckoning for. The big man revealed that he was more dedicated than ever before and every game, going ahead, was going to be a “statement”.

“Of course, I’m dedicated. And I know, at the end of the day, I’m going to get what I deserve. And every game is a statement from now on,” Wembanyama said.

Asked Victor if not winning Western Conf Rookie of the Month (Chet Holmgren) & ranking 7th among West front court players in All-Star voting fueled his performance tonight…

“Of course…
At the end of the day, I’m going to get what I deserve…
Every game is a statement now on” pic.twitter.com/h9OglmPx7h

— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 5, 2024

Since the results for December’s Rookie of the Month came out, Wembanyama has been on a tear. In the past four games, despite not playing more than 26 minutes, the European prodigy has lodged 23.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3 blocks per game.

Victor Wembanyama since telling us “Every game is a statement from now on”

22.5 MPG*****
23.3 PPG
10.5 RPG
3.8 APG
3.0 BPG
51.0 FG%

No lies told ‍ #PorVida pic.twitter.com/fMTptlPfUW

— (@brayknowball) January 13, 2024

His elite performance in the past few weeks has gotten him back to the #1 spot of the latest rookie ladder, dethroning Chet Holmgren. However, Wemby did take a hit in the 2^nd All-Star vote returns, tumbling down to the eighth spot among Western Conference frontcourt players.

The post “I’m Not Talking for Nothing”: Victor Wembanyama Reflects on Recent Performances, Impressive Play on Minutes Restriction appeared first on The SportsRush.