Steph Curry noted what it was like to play against Victor Wembanyama for the first time this season.
Victor Wembanyama has taken the NBA by storm this year. The 21-year-old came back from a blood clot issue that kept him out for the second half of the 2024-25 season better than ever. He's already cemented himself as the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner and MVP candidate, even in the early going of this season.
However, the old guard of the NBA wasn't going to let him swoop in that easily. Steph Curry made sure of that on Wednesday night, outplaying the 7-foot-4 Frenchman in an immediate classic as the Warriors beat the Spurs 125-120.
Curry Describes How It Feels To Play Against Wembanyama
After the Warriors' emphatic win, Curry spoke to the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast team and touched on what it was like to be matched up against Wembanyama throughout the game.
"When you get those possessions, you try to just be decisive. The only thing I know is I was shooting short in the first half, and then I tried to shoot a couple rainbow moonballs over him. I didn't make any of them. But I'm not worried about my arc moving forward. He challenges you in a way that doesn't make any sense."
There were multiple plays where Wembanyama switched onto Curry and stuck with him on the perimeter, despite the 14-inch height difference. Both sides showcased their greatest skills: Wembanyama's versatility and imposing presence on defense, and Curry's impossible shotmaking.
Curry also threw it back to the 2024 Summer Olympics, where the two met when Team USA and France faced off in the Gold Medal game.
"I saw it in the Olympics, and it always catches you off guard. But he's going to be around this league for a long time doing that."
Wembanyama's career in the NBA is all but guaranteed to be long and fruitful, barring injury, but the stamp of approval from a two-time MVP and the world's greatest shooter ever is always a good thing.
Dueling Statlines
It was an iconic final scorebook between the Spurs and the Warriors.
Curry led the Dubs with a season-high 46 points, including 22 points in the 3rd quarter alone. He shot 16+ free throws for just the fourth time in his career, and also contributed 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 of the Warriors' 21 three-pointers.
Curry's second-in-command, Jimmy Butler, also showed up big. Butler dropped 28 points on just 12 field goal attempts, knocking in 5 triples of his own and stuffing the rest of the stat sheet with 6 boards, 8 assists, and 3 steals.
On the flip side, the two young stars for the Spurs posted triple-doubles in the same game for the first time in franchise history.
Wembanyama had 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, while 2024-25 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle posted 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Despite the loss, the future looks extremely bright in San Antonio with these two leading the way.
The NBA Cup will continue this Friday as the Warriors stay in San Antonio and get set to face off against the Spurs for the second consecutive game. More fireworks are sure to explode between Curry and Wembanyama.