Apr 19, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) warms up before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Apr 19, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) warms up before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Greatness is rarely achieved in a void. Victor Wembanyama is an NBA big man who is changing the definition of the position, and he has a blueprint that was created by a Black Mamba who gave up the court in January 2020.
Long before Wembanyama played his first minute in the NBA, he sat with EuroHoops.net in 2022 and opened up about how Kobe Bryant’s death had rocked him to the core.
"I think about him almost every day since his death. His disappearance shocked me. I admire his spirit, work ethic, and game philosophy," Wembanyama said.
Aug. 10, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; USA forward Kobe Bryant celebrates the victory after the mens basketball preliminary game between the USA and China at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Stadium in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. USA defeated China 101-70. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Aug. 10, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; USA forward Kobe Bryant celebrates the victory after the mens basketball preliminary game between the USA and China at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Stadium in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. USA defeated China 101-70. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Given Bryant's towering legacy, it made perfect sense to have that reverence. A five-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and 2008 regular-season MVP, Bryant finished with 33,643 points in his 20-year career, highlighted by an 81-point game in 2006 that ranks as the second-highest single-game total in NBA history.
Wembanyama took that standard to its core.
"Following his example every day, I try to push my limits. When I suffer, when I have doubts, I often wonder what Kobe would have done. And I know I would have done more," Wembanyama added.
That mentality has now transformed directly to the court. Selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft, Wembanyama is averaging 23.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game, all of which are representative of the ruthless excellence Bryant instilled in his career.
The words in 2022 resonated differently now, because Wembanyama is not just absorbing Bryant's lessons. He's playing them on the biggest stage around!
Victor Wembanyama Channels His Inner Kobe Bryant
Nobody saw this coming. Not only did the 21-year-old show up for Game 1, but he dominated. He secured the win against the top-seeded team in the Western Conference.
Wembanyama had 41 points and 24 rebounds to help San Antonio to an incredible 122-115 overtime win over Oklahoma City in the opener of the Western Conference Finals.
He was all over the place. Wembanyama played 49 minutes during the overtime thriller.
And when the Spurs needed a lifeline in the first overtime, he knocked down a clutch three. He ended double overtime with a dunk that silenced the entire building.
Then came the story. Wembanyama is the youngest player in playoff history to have a 40-point, 20-rebound game, per Stathead.
Each time the OKC crowd tried to spark a rally, Wembanyama had an answer. San Antonio now has full control of the series and will be home for Game 2.
Is Wembanyama's Game 1 performance the greatest playoff game of this generation? Comment down below.
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Written by
Utsav Gupta
Edited by
Utsav Gupta