Victor Wembanyama took over in the fourth quarter of the San Antonio Spurs' Game 3 win, and he credits an all-time great for putting him in a position to succeed.
After blowing out the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2, the San Antonio Spurs had a more even match in Game 3, with the Wolves rallying late. However, Victor Wembanyama was able to put the team on his back in the fourth quarter, going off for 16 points in the final frame.
The MVP candidate would finish with an excellent 39 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks, and the Spurs stole the first game in the Twin Cities.
Rudy Gobert was able to reject one of Wembanyama's shots in the fourth quarter, although the youngster's elite footwork and crafty offense were too much for the four-time Defensive Player of the Year to handle.
Wembanyama spent the offseason training for moments like these, and in his first playoff run, it seems his lessons are paying off. Specifically in matchups against Gobert, Hakeem Olajuwon's lessons have put Wemby over the top.
Wemby Credits Hakeem For Massive Success
Standing at 7-4, Wemby can simply shoot over or drive through most defenders in the league. Gobert is one of the only big men in the NBA who can keep up with him, so Wembanyama had to reach deep into his bag of tricks.
"I had to resort to some things that Hakeem taught me in this fourth quarter," he said after the game. "Many things, but especially that spin fadeaway over Rudy."
Gobert started mentoring Wembanyama when he was just 13 years old. Still, since entering the league, Wemby has worked with Olajuwon, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Jamal Crawford, and a cohort of Chinese monks.
He's finding help and advice from anyone and everyone willing to offer it!
While Wembanyama did dazzle and had his fair share of highlight-worthy plays, he thinks consistency and simply holding onto the lead were the biggest accomplishments of the game.
"Rather than doing incredible things or amazing things, we needed to avoid mistakes," he explained. "And that's a situation we haven't really been in, you know, or I haven't. But I know it's going to happen in the playoffs."
The Spurs haven't played in the postseason since 2019, and they haven't made it this far since 2017. So far, Wembanyama hasn't let the pressure get to him and has been able to play to his strengths.