San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama put up another record-breaking performance against the LA Lakers and LeBron James took notice.
Wembanyama entered the NBA with as much fanfare as any prospect. He was even compared to James countless times during the pre-draft process.
After nearly two decades of perennial contender status, the Spurs stumbled through the 2022-23 NBA season, netting the first overall pick at the draft.
San Antonio selected Wembanyama and immediately gave him the keys to the franchise. With head coach Gregg Popovich serving as a mentor, the rookie has gotten off to a hot start.
On Friday, Wembanyama posted his most impressive stat line yet as the Spurs traveled to Los Angeles to challenge LeBron’s Lakers.
Victor Wembanyama breaks another record versus the LA Lakers
Wembanyama opened the night with a scoring outburst, tallying 13 points in the first five minutes of action. He ended the game with 27 points.
The 20-year-old logged ten rebounds, eight assists, five blocks, and five steals, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record a 5×5 stat line.
Victor Wembanyama is the YOUNGEST player in NBA history to record a 5×5 (PTS-REB-AST-STL-BLK) game 📊27 PTS10 REB8 AST5 BLK5 STLWembanyama completed this 5×5 game in 30 minutes and 55 seconds, the fewest minutes ever played in such a game 🤯 pic.twitter.com/oenPznGOKM
— NBA (@NBA) February 24, 2024
Wembanyama is also the first player since Michael Jordan to record back-to-back five-block and five-steal games.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
LeBron James calls Victor Wembanyama “special”
LeBron witnessed this legendary performance, and although his Lakers won, the future Hall of Famer had plenty of praise for Wembanyama.
“He can do whatever he wants to do in his career,” James remarked after the game. “I said a long time ago how special he was, and it’s literally that simple.”
James continued, “You got guys in our league that you have to account for any time you get around the rim. [Wembanyama] sits right at the top with all the greats.”
Later on X, James posted about Wembanyama, calling him “special” and using the alien emoji that has become a nickname for the young Spur.
That kid is SPECIAL!! 👽
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 24, 2024
Wembanyama is already living up to the immense hype that surrounded him as an amateur player overseas.
He’s averaging a double-double on the year with an NBA-high 3.3 blocks per game. As James said on Friday, the kid is “special.”