San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama continues to perform feats that appear to defy the laws of physics.
In the second quarter of the Spurs’ Saturday showdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wembanyama left countryman Rudy Gobert in the dust with a nasty Shammgod dribble move and finish. The capacity crowd at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas was left stunned as Wemby scored over the former Defensive Player of the Year with ease.
Here are a few more angles of the play:
The 7-foot-4 freak of nature displayed the dribbling fluidity of a man two-thirds his size. Wembanyama combined his guard-like skills with his absurd eight-foot wingspan to somehow avoid one of the best shot-blockers in NBA history.
It’s quite fitting that the Spurs star used the famous Shammgod crossover in an NBA game. Former NBA player-turned-Dallas Mavericks assistant God Shammgod –who popularized the cut dribble move – went viral in October for trying to mimic Wemby.
During a Dallas practice earlier this season, Shammgod simulated Wembanyama’s wingspan by holding oar-like extensions while defending the rim against Mavs players (video here).
The Wemby-Shammgod connection is one of the more unexpected manifestations of “game recognize game” we’ve seen in quite some time.
Wembanyama’s performance against Minnesota went beyond a single highlight. The 20-year-old led a huge comeback over the Timberwolves to win 113-112 over the visitors. Wemby finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, two steals and two blocks. He became the first rookie ever to record such a stat line while also knocking down three triples.
Saturday was just another day at the office for one of the NBA’s greatest prospects.
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