Damian Lillard has never come off the bench in the NBA. Jayson Tatum hasn’t either. And Victor Wembanyama, now in his third year, hadn’t either, until tonight. After weeks of intense training and rehab, Wemby was finally cleared to play in the NBA Cup semifinals against the Thunder, only to be called off the bench instead of starting. His response to the new role? Hilarious.

“Am I still eligible? We’ll think about it,” Wemby laughed after the game when asked about the Sixth Man of the Year award. To qualify, a player has to come off the bench more often than they start and hit the league’s 65-game minimum while playing meaningful minutes. Wembanyama is close to that threshold, making his chances for any season-end awards uncertain if he misses more games.

But fans quickly got creative online, nicknaming him “Wembenchyama.”

After a 12-game absence due to a left calf strain, Wembanyama finally returned to the court, and for the first time in his NBA career, he came off the bench. The Spurs are carefully managing his minutes as he eases back from injury, and until now, he had started every game he played, a total of 129 career starts, including the 12 games this season before his injury.

Spurs teammate Devin Vassell noticed his impact, saying, “As soon as Vic came in, he had the impact that we needed.”

He can afford to miss only five more games if he wants to stay eligible for major awards like MVP or DPOY. As of last week, NBA.com ranked him No. 8 on the MVP ladder, sitting behind stars like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic.

On the defensive side, Wemby already showed his ceiling as a rookie in 2023–24, finishing second in DPOY voting behind Rudy Gobert and becoming the first rookie ever named to the All-Defensive First Team.

Given his situation, exploring the Sixth Man role isn’t out of the question. The stigma surrounding coming off the bench is still prevalent, but many greats have started their careers in this manner.

Kobe Bryant spent most of his rookie year as a reserve behind Eddie Jones, and LeBron James was benched in his first season with the Cavaliers due to a sprained finger on December 11, 2007.

As long as he and the Spurs deliver on the court, the approach works.

Wembanyama leads Spurs as Thunder’s 16-game win streak comes to an end

Victor Wembanyama, returning from a 12-game absence due to a calf injury, was limited to about 21 minutes but delivered an efficient 22 points (6-of-11 shooting), 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a team-high +21 plus-minus. His presence completely shifted the game— the Spurs outscored the Thunder by 21 points during his minutes on the court.

Notable plays from Wembanyama that helped him monster the Thunder:

• He entered to start the second quarter and quickly tipped in a missed shot, then grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out for a teammate’s three-pointer, sparking a Spurs run.
• Early in the fourth quarter, in a head-to-head matchup with his rival big man, Wembanyama emphatically swatted Holmgren’s mid-range attempt right back in his face, energizing the crowd and the Spurs’ defense.
• He poured in 15 points in the final period, including key buckets and free throws down the stretch (e.g., sinking FTs after drawing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth foul to push the lead to 105-101 late).
• Late in the game, after Alex Caruso poked the ball loose multiple times, Wemby used his size advantage for a tough fadeaway to reclaim the lead.
• His deterrence in the paint made drives less inviting for OKC, contributing to their season-low shooting percentage.

After the win, he summed up the moment perfectly, saying, “We knew if that if we lose, we’re out. And you know, some people are built for these moments. Some aren’t. We are built for it.”

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His poise helped San Antonio edge the defending champions 111–109 and book a spot in the NBA Cup final against the Knicks.

The Spurs didn’t win this on star power alone. Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and De’Aaron Fox all chipped in with 22 or 23 points, giving San Antonio balance all night.

Oklahoma City struck first, but the Spurs closed the first half on a 13-point run to cut the deficit to three. They followed that with a 10–0 burst in the third quarter, grabbing control and refusing to give it back.

Defensively, San Antonio made the Thunder uncomfortable in a way few teams have this season. OKC was held to 41.3% shooting overall and just 24.3% from three on 37 attempts.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points, but needed 23 shots, attempted only four free throws, and was forced into five turnovers. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams added 17 points each, but the rhythm never fully came.

The loss snapped Oklahoma City’s 16-game winning streak and marked only their second defeat in 26 games, even as they remain one of the best starts in NBA history.