'Beast': 20-Year-Old Victor Wembanyama Already A Game-Changer for Spurs

See why San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama’s versatile skills have him climbing the MVP Ladder and earning respect from NBA legends like James Harden.

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks in against LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Victor Wembanyama is a one-of-a-kind player.

He can score in the paint, from midrange and from beyond the 3-point arc, block shots without even leaving the floor. His enormous wingspan makes it hard for opposing players to pass and drive the lane.

The San Antonio Spurs have known this for a while and the rest of the league is slowly, but surely starting to learn it, too.

READ MORE: How Victor Wembanyama Found Beauty in Simplicity

One of the league’s biggest superstars, James Harden, already knows how special Wembanyama is and voiced that opinion ahead of facing the Spurs at Frost Bank Center.

“Beast. Beast. On both ends,” Harden said, “and his shot looks way more confident. He's shooting it with confidence. Defensively, he's active, blocking shots. He's doing it all. Guys like us are leaving and guys like Wemby are coming in. We thought we've never seen certain players before and then Wemby come in like, come on, what are we doing?”

James Harden on Victor Wembanyama:

“Beast. Beast. On both ends. And his shot looks way more confident, he's shooting it with confidence. Defensively, he's active, blocking shots. He's doing it all. Guys like us are leaving and guys like Wemby are coming in. We thought we've… pic.twitter.com/H1qZKaKhdD

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 28, 2024

Harden got an up-close look at Wembanyama’s unique ability Tuesday night in a 122-86 San Antonio victory. Wembanyama scored 27 points (10-18), nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

Ringing in the New Year like 🎉 pic.twitter.com/AEfpGsc63x

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 1, 2025

Wembanyama’s performance in December has led him to being included in the Kia MVP Ladder rankings. He’s averaged 28.5 ppg, 10 rebounds per game, 4.8 assists per game and 4.4 blocks per game. He started out the season averaging just 17.7 ppg.

Since Nov. 9, Wembanyama is averaging 29.4 points on 50.1 percent shooting from the field, 40.2 percent from 3, and 86.7 percent from the free throw line.

---

San Antonio Spurs On Sports Illustrated

How Victor Wembanyama Found Beauty in Simplicity

Counting Down on New Year’s Eve with Key Stats from Spurs’ Win

Spurs Get Big Lift from Stephon Castle in Emphatic Victory