Following his team’s 130-126 overtime loss on Friday evening, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson gave a major praise to San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.
“He’s going to be one of the greatest players this game has ever seen,” Brunson told reporters, according to Mike Monroe of The Athletic. “It’s tough to get a shot up and in over him.”
Brunson scored 61 points, but it was insufficient against the Spurs and Wembanyama, who had 40 points, 20 rebounds, and seven assists. Wembanyama also made many crucial shots, including a three-pointer that gave the Spurs a 128-124 overtime lead.
Victor Wembanyama’s incredible rookie season
The 20-year-old entered the NBA with a lot of fanfare, and he’s outperformed expectations with an outstanding rookie season. So far, Wembanyama has averaging 21.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game.
He’s had some incredible single-game performances, including a triple-double with 10 blocks against the Toronto Raptors and a 33-point, 15-rebound, seven-assist, seven-block effort against the Brooklyn Nets.
Given the opponent, Wembanyama’s performance against the Knicks was likely his greatest yet. Victor Wembanyama guided the Spurs to victory despite Brunson’s career-high scoring performance.
San Antonio will not make the playoffs this year, but Wembanyama still has eight games left in his outstanding rookie season. He’ll do it again Sunday at home against the Golden State Warriors.