Wembanyama makes NBA history in Spurs loss against reigning champions

The San Antonio Spurs fell to the shorthanded Denver Nuggets in another one-sided matchup on Sunday night. Despite extending their losing streak to 12 straight games and slipping to last place in the Western Conference, Victor Wembanyama offered fans a silver lining with an extraordinary two-way performance, notching 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, six steals, and four blocks as he went toe to toe with Nikola Jokic.

Only six other players in NBA history have ever matched that phenomenal stat line, including Hakeem Olajuwon, Marcus Camby, James Harden, Karl Malone, Robert Parish, and Gerald Wallace. Though Wembanyama etched his name in the record books next to Hall of Famers and All-Stars, the 19-year-old set himself apart from that outstanding cast as the youngest one to achieve those numbers. And he did it in just 25 minutes.

Everyone else was at least 22 years old and played over 35 minutes when they pulled off this achievement. The fact that Wembanyama put together such an eye-opening effort in his first meeting against the reigning league champions makes this outing even more special. Watching the rookie stay aggressive as Denver threw the proverbial kitchen sink at him defensively was the most encouraging development to arise from this tilt.

A burgeoning superstar stuffing the stat sheet is no substitute for winning basketball, and the Silver and Black faithful are understandably frustrated that it has been almost one month since their favorite franchise last won a game. San Antonio will have three days off before facing Dejounte Murray and the Atlanta Hawks. Hopefully, Head Coach Gregg Popovich can settle this inexperienced team and help them get back on track soon.