Victor Wembanyama is everything fans have begged NBA superstars to be

San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama hasn't needed long to become one of the best players in the NBA. He's a defensive force unlike anyone who came before him, as well as an absolute anomaly on the offensive end of the floor given his size, athleticism, and skill set.

For as intriguing as that all may be, what Wembanyama has truly given to the Association is a reminder of what fans have wanted superstars to be: Invested in every phase of the NBA season.

Wembanyama made waves on Friday, Mar. 6 when he led San Antonio to a miraculous 116-112 victory over the LA Clippers. The Spurs erased a 25-point deficit, with the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner posting 27 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, and a steal.

What truly set the basketball world ablaze, however, was not his performance, but his emotional reaction to winning an NBA game.

Wembanyama explained after the game that it was perhaps the hardest game he's ever played, showing the emotion and exhaustion of the win on his face.

Many on social media questioned why Wembanyama would be emotional about a win over a 30-32 opponent in the regular season, but Justin Termine of Sirius XM Radio's NBA Today offered a different take that put the superstar's value to the NBA into perspective.

Therein lies the truth of what Wembanyama brings to the NBA: Not just generational talent, but a commitment to excellence that seems to be fueling those around him to meet the same standard.

Victor Wembanyama brings the passion NBA has been missing from the regular season

Wembanyama doesn't just stand in the paint waiting for opponents who'd dare try to score against him around the rim. He could, of course, as a 7'4" Goliath with the length and shot-blocking instincts to redirect every shot that comes his way.

Instead, the tallest player on the court on any given night can be found chasing guards, forwards, and centers alike all over the floor, tormenting them for entering his endless domain.

Wembanyama doesn't show up to the All-Star Game with the intention of enjoying time off in the middle of the season. He takes the court with his peers and gives everything he has to prove that he not only belongs among them, but is the best the NBA has to offer.

With that in mind, perhaps we all should've expected Wembanyama to react with such overwhelmed emotion to the biggest comeback of his NBA career. Moreover, perhaps it's what we should've expected from Tim Duncan's successor.

NBA regular season basketball feels like it matters again

Duncan was the epitome of a standard-setting player during his illustrious 19-year career. He bought in to every phase of head coach Gregg Popovich's constantly evolving system and willingly accepted the Spurs icon's at times volatile coaching style.

During a 2020 episode of the All The Smoke podcast, former Spurs wing Stephen Jackson explained how he learned to take Popovich's intense style of coaching by seeing how receptive the best player on the team was to it and realizing he couldn't respond any differently if the star is accepting it.

"I used to come out of the game and Pop just screaming and cursing. And I'm sitting down here: 'Man, how is you letting this [expletive] talk to you like this?! You're Tim Duncan!' And he said nothing. So when Pop come to me, I gotta be like: 'What the [expletive] can I say? Tim Duncan taking it. I gotta take it.' But it made me a better player."

In a strange way, that's exactly what seems to be happening with Wembanyama and the rest of the NBA in regard to the passion being displayed during the regular season.

The NBA is following Victor Wembanyama's lead

How exactly does an NBA player justify not going all out when the biggest player on the court is doing so? It's a question that there may be an answer to, but when said player is also willing to impose their will on both ends of the floor, how exactly does one operate any differently?

That's inevitably helped set the tone for the culture that Mitch Johnson is establishing in San Antonio, but it appears to be permeating the NBA at large.

The entire 2025-26 regular season has felt like a breath of fresh air, with defensive intensity and thrilling clashes down the stretch of games becoming a standard again. It's not exclusively attributable to Wembanyama, of course, as stars such as Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards epitomize similar ideals.

What Wembanyama has made it, however, is indefensible for an individual his size or smaller to not go all out when the most physically imposing player in the NBA is willing to.