The moment the Spurs secured a 111-103 win over Oklahoma City in Game 7, Victor Wembanyama became emotional. But instead of celebrating himself, he immediately thought about Gregg Popovich.

The Spurs have returned to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years. While Mitch Johnson now leads the team, Gregg Popovich's legacy continues to shape the organization.

"He [Pop] goes through some things we can't even imagine. So I need to call him. I need to see him. I need to talk to him. Because there's no way I can understand right now how he feels," Victor Wembanyama said after the game.

"I don't know if he's ever going to do an interview about it ... So when I talk to him, it's going to be only stored in my head, except if I record it in secret. But I need to talk to him so quick."

Popovich retired from coaching last summer after suffering a stroke and later transitioned into the role of team president. Even during the playoffs, the 77-year-old has remained involved with the organization while continuing his recovery.

Wembanyama's emotions, however, were not only about his former coach. Wembanyama celebrated the milestone alongside his teammates on the court.

Moments after the win, Wembanyama buried his head in his jersey and struggled to contain his emotions. He embraced Stephon Castle, then joined Bismack Biyombo, Keldon Johnson, and several other teammates in a group celebration.

He also shared emotional moments with Julian Champagnie and assistant coach Sean Sweeney as the team celebrated its trip to the NBA Finals.

“They don’t even know how much I love them,” Wembanyama said.

The Spurs now shift their focus to the NBA Finals. Before chasing that trophy, however, Victor Wembanyama has already etched his name into the history books and added a few records of his own.

Victor Wembanyama Joins Elite Company

Saturday night was not about a massive scoring explosion from Victor Wembanyama. It was about doing whatever the Spurs needed to win.

He finished with 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting, along with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block while earning the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP award.

Wembanyama also had to navigate foul trouble throughout the game. Even so, San Antonio's victory was built on a complete team effort rather than one dominant individual performance.

Still, the 22-year-old continued adding his name to the NBA record books. According to ESPN Insights, "Victor Wembanyama is the first player in NBA history with 15+ threes and 15+ blocks in a playoff series."

Keerthika Uthayakumar pointed out on X that, although Wembanyama has only played three seasons in the NBA so far, he has become "the first player to lead a Finals team in scoring in the first 4 seasons of his career since LeBron James in 2007."

The milestones do not stop there. According to CBS Sports research, the last two players to reach the NBA Finals in both their first playoff appearance and their first season as a First Team All-NBA selection are Victor Wembanyama (2026) and Elgin Baylor (1959).

Wembanyama also joined another exclusive club. He is now the only the second player in NBA history to record at least 15 blocks, 10 steals, and 10 three-pointers in a single conference finals run, alongside Kobe Bryant (2026).

And his playoff journey is far from over. Wembanyama will try to make more in the NBA Finals against the Knicks, starting June 3.

Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Koushik Biswas