San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama had 40 points and 15 rebounds on opening night.
The San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks on opening night behind superstar Victor Wembanyama, who had 40 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 15-of-21 from the field, 1-of-2 from beyond the arc and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line.
One NBA scout who watched the Spurs-Mavericks game told ESPN that as long as Wembanyama stays healthy, the league will be his soon.
"He's clearly gotten bigger, stronger, more aggressive, playing with more force," a Western Conference scout said. "And he's going to take over the whole f---ing league if he stays healthy."
The Spurs are looking to make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2019. Wembanyama looked like the best basketball player in the world against the Mavericks.
It's great to see the youngster back on the court after his 2024-25 season was cut short due to blood clots in his shoulder.
"It feels like every day we try to lay a brick to build a huge mansion, and it felt like the job was done for the day," Wembanyama said. "This is what we've been working for. This is what we've struggled for, for so long, and I just felt like it fits. I felt like I was in my place.
"We needed to make a statement in our locker room. The feeling really was that there wasn't anything we really could have done more to help us today. It felt like we did everything we needed to do. We felt ready, and we felt like we wouldn't have any regret about things we should have worked on or things we should have done in the summer. I was comfortable with the work we put in and with the preparation up to this point. Now all the dice are thrown in the Western Conference."
Wembanyama has led the NBA in blocks per game and total blocks for two consecutive seasons. It wouldn't surprise anyone if Wembanyama wins multiple Defensive Player of the Year Awards and MVPs during his career.
"[I was] much more in control of myself," Wembanyama said. "The mind, I'm not worried about [that] because I saw what it's like to be confronted with potentially losing a lot, whether it's your career or your health. So I'm not taking this for granted anymore. The body? I'm having more fun now that I'm not struggling to move as much. I know I still need to get better, and I'm still going to get better."