Jason Burgos
If you didn’t get it or believe it before, the San Antonio Spurs‘ Game 3 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves confirmed that Victor Wembanyama is the scariest player in the NBA, and the rest of the Western Conference should be terrified.
Beyond his 7-foot-4 height — which may actually be misleading — Wembanyama isn’t a scary-looking athlete, because he only holds 234 pounds on his massive frame. For old-school fans, he physically reminds them more of disappointing, rail-thin big men like Manute Bol and Shawn Bradley. Yet, over his first three seasons, he continues to prove he is the league’s real unicorn, not Kristaps Porzingis.
During the season, he emerged as a top-10 talent and a legitimate MVP candidate, leading his 62-win Spurs team in scoring (25.0), rebounds (11.5), and blocks (3.1) in only 29 minutes per night. While he won’t win MVP, he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and leveled up during the regular season. Yet, the talented 22-year-old is not done moving up to new levels, like the NBA is his own personal video game.
Victor Wembanyama becomes NBA’s scariest star during 2026 playoffs
If you haven’t noticed, Wembanyama has placed himself among some elite company during this year’s playoffs. But specifically in the Spurs’ ongoing series against the Timberwolves, he has become downright terrifying. In Game 1, he made NBA history by being the first player to post 12 blocks in a playoff game. However, they were on the wrong end of a 104-102 loss at home. That clearly made the Frenchman angry.
In Game 2, he scored 19 points and posted 15 boards as he led the way in a dominant 133-95 victory. Yet, that was just the appetizer to what he would do on Friday night in Game 3. In the Spurs 115-108 win, the barely out of his teens player had 39 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks. But those aren’t the best numbers because he somehow shot an absurd 72.2 % from the field while hoisting five three-pointers.
On Friday, he became the first player since LeBron James in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals to tally 35 or more points, 15 boards, and at least 70% shooting in a playoff game. He is also now just the fourth player in NBA history to have 35 or more points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a playoff game. Joining basketball icons Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Wembanyama is not just a talented scorer in the NBA. The league has a bunch of those. But because he is 7-foot-4, when he is on, he is unguardable. However, while he can be an absolute problem on offense, he is the best defensive player in the game right now. Sending fear into any man who dares to drive into the lane. It is why, at just 22 years old, the French Phenom is officially the scariest player in the NBA.
Even worse for teams around the league, he is loving every minute of it. “I’ve really been waiting since I’ve been in the league to live those moments, those high-stakes games. That’s what I love. I’m built for this. I love this more than anything else,” he said on Friday night.
