When two teams with 62 or more wins face each other, the NBA needs double-overtime to separate them in the Conference Finals Game 1. Victor Wembanyama, on the back of his mammoth double-double of 41 points and 24 rebounds, led the San Antonio Spurs to a 122-115 victory. Kendrick Perkins, a former champion turned analyst, was so impressed that he wanted the same offseason training with the Chinese monks for his kids.

The father of four wants to instill the same mentality that Wemby developed during his transformative summer at a Shaolin Temple in China. I was watching the game with my wife and my kids. And I told my wife that we’re sending our kids to those damn monks that Wemby went to this summer. Because I need that. I need that mentality right there,” said Kendrick Perkins on SportsCenter. “I believe we call it greatness. But God bless America what he just did on that stage. It’s one thing to spoil an MVP moment for SGA being awarded his MVP. But it’s another thing to walk into that arena, one of the loudest, most hostile environments, and have a legendary performance like he did today on both ends of the floor. And the one thing that stood out to me is how personal he took it.

Because the world know the hatred that he has in his heart for Chet Holmgren. Wemby was a monster all across the board. I’m speechless. The number speaks for himself. And we just heard Stephon Castle say that he’s the best player in the world. Guess what? He has no argument whatsoever from Kendrick Perkins. None. I have no argument for that.” Wemby on Monday night saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lift the MVP trophy and began the night hot for the Spurs.

The Frenchmen scored four of the first seven points and ended the night with a pair of dunks in the final minute to seal the win. It goes back to his training routine, and the 22-year-old chose the unusual path to maximize his potential. “I was just thinking I’m not able to do these things physically right now. So my body still has some areas to fill and some areas to develop.” Wembanyama further told Andrews about the training with the monks ahead of his postseason debut, “It’s been very important for me to develop my body into what it can be and like fulfill the potential as much as possible.”

With his performance tonight, the Spurs stole home-court advantage and beat the Thunder for the fifth time in six meetings this season. Despite it being Victor Wembanyama’s debut in the Conference Finals, he played 49 minutes and even scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in clutch time. The Spurs did that in OKC without De’Aaron Fox, who was dealing with ankle problems. But Wemby stepped out as he scored or assisted on 18 of the Spurs’ 31 points over the last 15 minutes of the game.

Victor Wembanyama had a record night

Wemby joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to ever post 40-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in a Conference Finals debut. He also joined David Robinson as the only Spurs player in San Antonio’s history to hit that stat line in a postseason game. There is more! The Frenchman is also the youngest player to post such a stat line at 22 years, 134 days old, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar, who was 22 years, 352 days old when he recorded 46 points and 25 rebounds on April 3, 1970.

What makes it even more compelling is that this is Victor Wembanyama’s first playoff run and only his 11th postseason game. After Game 1, the Frenchman admitted that SGA winning MVP made it personal for him. “Yeah, for sure,” he told the reporters. “I still got a lot to learn and I want to get that trophy, you know, many times in my career.”

OKC were the favorites to win at the Paycom Center. But Wemby’s heroics put a halt to those plans. Clearly, the grind of the offseason worked for the Spurs’ center.