Watch - Victor Wembanyama gets his own rebound and finishes a tough shot while getting fouled
The fans at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas are finally seeing a more impressive showing from Victor Wembanyama than last Friday. After struggling against the Charlotte Hornets in his debut, the rookie has been wowing the crowd with spectacular plays in his second summer league game.
In the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers, he came up with this play that had the San Antonio Spurs bench on its feet:
AND-1. FLEX. WEMBY LOCKED IN 🔒
#NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPN2 https://t.co/B07rxIFrii
A double team by Michael Devoe and Ibou Badji forced “Wemby” to put up a floater along the baseline. Instead of giving up on his shot, he sneaked up along the sideline to grab the offensive rebound on the other end.
Victor Wembanyama gathered himself before going up strong against Badji for the and-1 play. The versatile big man even used his left hand to bank the shot against the glass and score. A little flex to his Spurs teammates had everyone hyped up.
Wembanyama carried his blistering second-quarter form to the third quarter. He had nine straight points in the later part of the second period before coming out hot again to start the second half.
Victor Wembanyama at the half:
11 PTS
6 RBS
2 BLK
4-5 FG
Your apologies should be as loud as your disrespect 😮💨🇫🇷 https://t.co/VOlo5zQ3Ri
"Wemby" had 11 first-half points, six rebounds and two blocks. Three of his baskets were highlight reels that had the Las Vegas crowd wildly cheering. He added six more points to his total after the third quarter.
Also read: Watch - Victor Wembanyama blocks a shot at one end and finishes a thunderous dunk at the other
Victor Wembanyama continues to get love from fans
Despite a disappointing debut where he was trolled on social media, Victor Wembanyama remained unfazed. He admitted after the game that he didn’t know what he was really doing and that he needed to improve his conditioning.
The fans inside Thomas and Mack Center, though, were still riveted to every Wembanyama action. In one sequence, he crossed over Jabari Parker before pulling up for a smooth jumper. The move had fans shaking their heads at what they had just seen.
Wembanyama is 7-foot-3 but executes moves only seen by perimeter players. His combination of size, length, coordination and mobility is just staggering.
Fat Joe, who was at courtside, loudly expressed his appreciation by repeatedly shouting Wembanyama’s name.
When you’re sitting next to Fat Joe when Victor Wembanyama is playing… https://t.co/dp9AZJPpdn
The San Antonio Spurs versus Portland Trail Blazers game was missing one fan favorite. Scoot Henderson had to sit out after injuring his shoulder in his debut against the Houston Rockets.
For most of the night, Victor Wembanyama has provided the oohs and aahs without Henderson, though.
Also read: Scoot Henderson injury update - Portland Trail Blazers star to undergo an MRI hoping for no dislocation on the right shoulder