Victor Wembanyama established himself as “the first player in NBA history” Multiple times this week

Wemby finished the season’s pre-All-Star run with a string of rookie records from Toronto to Dallas.

Even though the Spurs’ last game before the All-Star break didn’t go as expected, the team in Dallas went cold after just 18 minutes. This week has been incredible for youngster Victor Wembanyama, who has produced some spectacular plays, impressive stat lines, and NBA records.
First, on Monday night in Toronto, he recorded a historic triple-double with 27 points, 15 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 5 assists. Here are a few of the most outrageous records he achieved that evening, according to ESPN.

Along with Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ralph Sampson, and the Spurs’ own David David Robinson, that statline not only put him in rare company among rookies to record 25/15/10/5 in a game, but it also made him the first rookie to have separate triple-doubles involving assists and blocks since blocks became a stat in 1973–74.

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The numbers behind Victor Wembanyama's stellar Monday night - ESPN

Even without the triple double, he is on pace to surpass a few other notable rookies in terms of total stats. With 152 and 153 total assists and 150 blocks in a single season, respectively, Pau Gasol was the last rookie to achieve both feats. Wemby was 48 games away from reaching such totals. Robinson was the only rookie to get to them sooner.

Then there are the records he broke not just for rookies, but for all NBA players. He became the first player to shoot multiple three-pointers in a single game and record a triple-double with blocks (he finished with 2-4 against the Raptors). Even though we all lament his minute limitations, he became the initial athlete to record 10 blocks and 5 assists in less than 30 minutes of play in a single game when that happened, along with the fact that it was a blowout victory. In just 48 games, he became the first player to record 150 assists, 150 blocks, and 75 threes in a single season. Farcical.

 

 

Night At Dallas

And there was Dallas’s final night. Even if the game wasn’t particularly good overall, Wemby still achieved a few more milestones, so it got off to a positive start. He reached the 1,000 point milestone with his 20th point of the game in the second quarter (it seemed like he was going to blow up for his first 40-point game before he went cold). Upon reaching 1,000 points, 150 blocks, and 150 assists through 50 career games, he becomes the first rookie to do so, along with Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson (this was game 49 for him).

It’s difficult to imagine Wemby is only beginning what appears to be a remarkable career. There’s really not much left to question that he should win Rookie of the Year until there’s a huge drop-off, but there are larger fishes to fry. Hopefully, he begins to translate his personal achievements into more on-court victories soon.