Victor Wembanyama is only 22 years old, yet he is already showing signs of being the kind of leader franchises spend decades searching for. His latest display came at the expense of a struggling rookie who needed someone in his corner.

When Carter Bryant threw away a critical possession in Game 4 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the emotions hit him visibly. During a timeout, Bryant seemed on the verge of tears, his thoughts swirling wildly in his mind.

That's when Wembanyama did it in his own game when he came out of his own solution looking for his teammate first, before the thought ball might roll any higher.

Bryant was struggling on many fronts that night, and the gesture was significant. He scored 0 during the seven minutes in which he played, a team-worst -10, committing four fouls and driving a turnover.

Head coach Mitch Johnson had already called him out on himself on the sideline, adding to the stress as the rookie was just settling into the game at this level.

Bryant's rough stat line was partly tied to a pair of bad fouls, including falling for Kenrich Williams' charge-drawing tactics on a fastbreak drive.

In the past regular season, Williams was in the top five in the NBA in charges drawn with 17, and Johnson is rumored to have spent time in front of his team telling them to avoid that kind of scenario. Bryant ignored the warning; the consequences cost him.

Yet Bryant's struggles did not affect the result, with the Spurs being far too strong. San Antonio took an overwhelming 103-84 victory in Game 4 to hold a 2-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals.

But the win was just as great in its telling. Wembanyama did not just lead with his words on the sideline; he backed it up where it counted most.

Victor Wembanyama Carries the Spurs With More Than Just His Game

That was no mere fluke of fortune for the series-leveling victory. Wembanyama was a stat-doubling force on the night, hitting the ball 11-for-22 on the floor with eight rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes.

He also added three blocks and two steals, making his presence felt on both ends of the floor. After the game, Wembanyama kept his focus inward rather than celebrating the result.

Speaking to reporters postgame, he said, "I need to find ways to impact the game in many areas."

He also made clear he understands the weight on his shoulders down the stretch.

In the same postgame availability, Wembanyama added, "I have a lot of responsibilities, but I'm here for it. All of us, we're going to have to do things we didn't sign up for."

That's the approach that will be needed from him for the 22-year-old to lead a franchise going for its first title since 2014.

The series now travels to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Tuesday, with a possible clinching set to return to San Antonio on Thursday.

Comment down below, do you think the Spurs can close out the Thunder in Game 5, or is this series heading back to seven?

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta