Wembanyama rubber stamps his name next to GOAT-level Hall of Famers

It’s official: Victor Wembanyama has a full 82-game NBA season under his belt, and his numbers are every bit as electrifying as we could have hoped. Combining the 71 games he played last season with the 11 he’s played so far this season, Wembanyama has just put the league on notice with his full-season performance.

A full season of Wembanyama surpassed expectations

Game 82 against the Sacramento Kings wasn’t just another game—it was a statement, one that showcased Wembanyama’s once-in-a-generation abilities. Wemby’s stat line in that blowout victory reads like a Spike Lee script: 34 points on 13/22 shooting, 6/12 from beyond the arc, 14 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks.

His performance was the driving force behind a convincing 20-point win over the Kings. Watching him display generational defense alongside a combination of Steph Curry-level shooting and Nikola Jokic-like efficiency was nothing short of breathtaking.

In his first 82 games, the 7'4" sophomore joined an exclusive club with the likes of Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Blake Griffin, and Sidney Wicks—players who each scored at least 1,700 points, grabbed 800 rebounds, and dished out 300 assists in their first full season’s worth of games.

Comparisons to Blake Griffin may seem out of place given the heights Griffin eventually plateaued at, but his early years were incredible. Griffin was a powerhouse in his prime, and basketball enthusiasts who followed his career respect what he accomplished. It's not his fault he was drafted by the Clippers.

Sidney Wicks might not be as familiar, as he's a cautionary tale of a player who didn't live up to his potential, but his NBA debut was nothing short of dominant. Averaging over 20 points and ten rebounds per game during his first four seasons, winning Rookie of the Year, and making four all-star teams, Wicks carved out a memorable stretch in the annals of professional basketball.

Then there’s the trio of Robertson, Abdul-Jabbar, and Bird. Their names alone speak volumes. Each of these players went on to define eras and push the game forward, and now Wembanyama finds himself statistically aligned with them. Yet he brings something to the table that even they couldn’t: a jaw-dropping block count.

Wembanyama's game has already reached ridiculous heights

Wembanyama has racked up 297 blocks in his first 82 games, which would have only been matched by Kareem had the block statistic existed during his early seasons. But the NBA didn't begin recording blocks until the 1972-73 season.

This defensive prowess puts Wemby in a unique league of his own among players known for their offensive finesse. Few players can protect the rim like he does while simultaneously having the skill set to stretch the floor, facilitate, and score at all three levels.

This achievement also comes with a poetic sense of irony, as a nameless scout had recently questioned Wemby’s offensive impact. To suggest he doesn’t impact offense now seems laughable. Joining the ranks of some of the NBA’s greatest offensive players in terms of points, rebounds, and assists over 82 games, Wembanyama has emphatically proven his place among the best.

The sky is the limit, and if his first 82 games are any indication, the league is witnessing one of the most versatile and influential players to ever touch the floor. For Spurs fans, Wembanyama’s rise is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. For the league, he’s a budding force that’s rewriting what’s possible in the NBA.