“I Thought It Was a Joke”: Victor Wembanyama Considered Just Raising His Hands While Facing Stephen Curry During the Jump Ball

Victor Wembanyama’s much-anticipated rookie season brings him new and refreshing experiences from the NBA. The 19-year-old Spurs rookie is now getting the chance to face some of his childhood basketball heroes, which includes the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Stephen Curry.

In a recent appearance on Spurs legend Tony Parker’s SKWEEK Show, the French wonderkid exclaimed how facing Steph Curry was one of his most exciting matchups to play. The Golden State Warriors faced the San Antonio Spurs earlier, during this preseason, with San Antonio taking the win from a 122-117 final scoreline.

Interestingly, Wemby recorded 5 blocks against the Dubs. The Splash Brothers, however, were abysmal in their offense, combining only a meager 20.8% shooting percentage from the field.

During this matchup, one of Wemby’s best memories was guarding Stephen Curry, who was preparing to make a jump ball against the Spurs’ first overall pick.

To block Steph’s jump ball, Wemby had just tried raising his arms instead of jumping. Speaking to Tony Parker, he said,

“To equal things, I thought of not jumping and just raising my arm. At the beginning, I thought it was a joke.” 

Clearly, Wemby was late to realize that Curry was not messing around with his shots. In what seemed like a clash between David and Goliath, Curry did his best to tip off his opening game against the anticipated NBA rookie. However, despite trying his best, the height disadvantage against Wembanyama was too significant to overcome for Chef Curry.

Relatively lackluster from his earlier 30-point performance in the preseason, Curry could only score 11 points from 11 shots in his 20 minutes of play against the Spurs. However, the Warriors’ PG had a blast watching him play.

Stephen Curry calls Victor Wembanyama as a ‘2K Create a Player’

Victor Wembanyama indeed seems like a created player with maxed-out stats on NBA 2K. Given his Goliath-like height and incredible skill set, it’s hard for even Stephen Curry not to agree with this statement. The 19-year-old’s skillset and all-around abilities to even substantiate for a guard make him look like the dream player every 2K enthusiast would want in their teams.

Having the same sentiment as many NBA fans, Curry recently remarked about Wemby to NBC Sports and said,

“He’s solid. he’s solid. He’s like a 2K create-a-player; every point guard who wants to be 7-foot. Cheat code-type vibes; he’s a solid talent. It’s great to watch.” 

Though Victor Wembanyama has a long way to prove his potential, it seems like he is well on the path. Curry will again face the French prodigy in the league as the Warriors next play the Spurs in the In-Season Tournament Group Stage.