It’s always blockbuster entertainment when Victor Wembanyama faces off with the NBA’s superstars, but Giannis Antetokuonmpo proved last night that he’s the Frenchman’s toughest matchup. Not only did he and the Bucks steamroll the Spurs 121-105, but the Greek Freak also restricted Wemby to just 10 points in 33 minutes. After the game ended, fans on social media called the sophomore center “soft” for getting physically outmatched by the strongest player in the league.
Advertisement
A Spurs beat writer on Twitter took offense to this new tag. He posted a video of Wemby’s pre-match preparation, and captioned it,
“To everyone calling Victor Wembanyama soft: Here’s a video clip of Wemby working with a trainer to prep for his game against the Bucks yesterday. Can we agree that he may need teammate help, but that he’s far from soft?”
The video showed Wemby being constantly shoved back by his trainer in preparation for Antetokuonmpo’s physical strength in the contest. While the Greek eventually got the better of him, Dusty Garza, who runs the account, claimed it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
To everyone calling Victor Wembanyama soft: Here’s a video clip of Wemby working with a trainer to prep for his game against the Bucks yesterday. Can we agree that he may need teammate help, but that he's far from soft? 💪🏀 pic.twitter.com/VQEC7ZyikJ
— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) January 9, 2025
Over the last few years, Giannis has developed quite a reputation for being one of the hardest players to guard. His strength is nearly unmatched across the 450 players in the NBA, and his combination of skill and footwork makes him nearly unstoppable. While Wemby has had a few good games against him last year, it’s clear to see after last night’s drubbing that the defending ROTY has a lot to learn.
Despite all his prep, Wemby just couldn’t handle the new gear that Giannis has hit this season. The Bucks’ talisman leads the league in scoring, and is making a serious case for the MVP award as well.
His physical transformation has also been one to behold, with the 2x MVP having put on almost 52 pounds in muscle since his draft combine to today.
The Greek Freak just bullying Victor Wembanyama tonight. The ESPN commentators talk about his transformation and the adjustments Mitch Johnson proposed defensively. Meanwhile Chris Paul is 4/4 from three-point range. #PorVida #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/Klt0yI7lUM
— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) January 9, 2025
Not only does he possess the strength, but his experience in handling defensive monsters came to his aid yesterday, as he was able to negate Wemby’s attempts to guard him completely. Additionally, being a former DPOY himself, he was able to apply all his skill toward containing the 21-year-old to one of his worst performances of the season.
Yes, Wembanyama is the frontrunner for the DPOY award this year, but given how he’s still only 21, he has a lot to learn. He is a defensive juggernaut, there’s no doubt about that, but Giannis showed yesterday that the most efficient way to score on Wemby is to outmuscle him.
There are a lot of physically gifted players in the league, and if Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs want to ensure he’s feared as a defender, he’ll have to work on his strength on the defensive end.
