Victor Wembanyama has made it a habit to put statisticians on the spot every odd game. On Monday night, taking on the OKC Thunder on the big Western Conference Finals stage, the big man dominated the court with a historical performance. A performance that reminded everyone of the legends from yesteryears. Naturally, the NBA world showered him with love.

Even before the tip-off, all eyes remained on Wemby and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the duo finally took on each other amid an intense MVP battle. Although the league crowned SGA as the MVP, the big man overshadowed it with a monstrous effort, recording 41 points, 21 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

This performance had a direct connection to a famous moment from 31 years ago. In a similar setting, Hakeem Olajuwon dropped a 41-16 performance on MVP David Robinson. Reportedly, the Rockets legend felt he deserved the title.

Moved by the display, 4x NBA Champ and Spurs legend Manu Ginobili wrote, “Fun and exhausting to watch! 1-0 Spurs! This kid is really otherworldly,” with an alien emoji. 

Apart from their Spurs background, Ginobili had a special connection with Victor Wembayama, someone who worked closely with him in the offseason, and Wemby highly regarded Ginobili’s efforts on his behalf.

Moreover, Wemby also joined an elite company alongside Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Charles Barkley as the only players to record 40 points and 20 rebounds in a Conference Finals game. On top of it, the 7 ‘5 center became the youngest player to record 35+ points and 20 rebounds in a Conference Finals game at the age of 22.

Most importantly, Victor Wembanyama admitted that he took the MVP loss personally after a reporter asked if he approached Game 1 differently. He not only dominated the game with his physical advantage but also with clutch shooting.

During the first overtime, the Thunder came alive with a three-point lead and less than 30 seconds left. Wemby, in response, pulled up a jumper, way beyond the arc, without any hesitation to drill a game-tying three-pointer. It ultimately silenced the Paycom Center, and the Spurs walked away with a tight 122-115 win in OT2.

The silence echoed beyond the arena as the NBA legends and players flooded with reactions. 

Trae Young, Magic Johnson & others shower Victor Wembanyama with love

Firstly, Magic Johnson issued a warning to the Western Conference. He appreciated the Thunder and Spurs’ coaching staff and deep roster and wrote, “I hate to break the news to the rest of the Western Conference, but they may not have a chance to win the Western Conference Finals for the next 5-7 years,” via X.

Considering OKC’s two series sweeps before the Conference Finals and Wemby dominating his way through the postseason, Magic’s prediction doesn’t seem exaggerated.

Following him, Wolves legend Kevin Garnett wrote, “In the beginning of the year that would’ve been a jumper by Wemby!” While Garnet didn’t specify the exact play, there’s a notable exclamation point late in the game when Wemby dunked on Alex Caruso off an alley-oop in OT2. 

Apart from working out with Ginobili and Olajuwon, Wemby did train with Garnett in the last off-season. Given how he has been keeping in touch with the legends, it seems Wemby is on a mission.

Active players also joined the reactions. Lonzo Ball straight up Wemby the future GOAT and he called people who don’t believe it, as someone who, “don’t know ball!” Trae Young jokingly wrote, “Wemby may actually be an Alien,” with an alien emoji, and Dejounte Murray kept it simple, as he wrote, “Wemby is f*****g ridiculous.”

With Wemby taking the MVP loss personally and the Spurs carrying the momentum from Game 1, the Thunder have a mountain to climb in Game 2 and the rest of the series.