The San Antonio Spurs-New York Knicks contest was expected to be a one-sided affair in favor of the Eastern Conference powerhouse. However, the battle was far more competitive than initially projected, with Gregg Popovich’s boys upsetting the title contenders. Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson even produced an epic duel in the double-OT thriller. Despite having a 61-point game himself, [per NBA.com] Brunson couldn’t stop lauding the Spurs rookie.
Advertisement
As expected, Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama were the best players for their respective teams. While Brunson recorded his career-high of 61 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 6 assists, Wemby lodged a historic 40-point, 20-rebound, and 7-assists, a near triple-double, carrying the Texas side to a 130-126 victory, per NBA.com.
Throughout the 2023-2024 season, the French sensation has proven to be a one-of-a-kind generational talent. However, in his previous game against the Knicks, Wemby only recorded 14 points and 9 rebounds, per StatMuse. Hence, Jalen Brunson was able to witness the 7ft 4” center’s true abilities tonight.
Being in awe of the European prodigy, the one-time All-Star showered his opponent with lofty praise. While talking to the reporters after the battle, the 27-year-old claimed that the youngster would be one of the “greatest players this game” will have seen. Apart from revealing his respect for the 20-year-old, Brunson also said:
“He’s gonna be one of the greatest players this game has seen. Just the way he’s built & what he’s been able to do so far. Got a lot of respect for him & it’s definitely tough to get a shot up & in over him.”
Jalen Brunson wasn’t Wemby’s only competitor in awe of the latter’s performance. Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks took to X (formerly “Twitter”), admitting to having been blown away by the 2024 Rookie of the Year frontrunner.
Gregg Popovich, who should be accustomed to Wembanyama’s greatness by now, also dished some compliments. As reported by @JeffGSpursZone, Coach Pop admitted that he often forgets that his rookie is only 20 years old.
At 20, Victor Wembanyama has put together an unbelievable campaign – 21 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game, per NBA.com. Undoubtedly, Wemby has surpassed all the surreal expectations set for him and could very well develop into one of the best players in the league in the near future.
