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Victor Wembanyama Plans to Keep Trying to Block Dunks for a Long, Long Time

Wembanyama envisions a day that he'll stop trying to block dunk attempts, and it is not coming soon.

Tim Capurso

Wembanyama blocked five shots but was dunked on while attempting to swat a shot from Heat center Bam Adebayo.
Wembanyama blocked five shots but was dunked on while attempting to swat a shot from Heat center Bam Adebayo. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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You live by the attempt to block a dunk or die by the attempt to block a dunk.

That's what happened to Spurs star Victor Wembanyama on Thursday night. The 7‘4" big man blocked five shots once again but it was a dunk in which he failed to block—a poster jam from Heat center Bam Adebayo—that seemed to garner more attention than any of the French big man's rejections, partly due to the fact that Adebayo made a show of expressing how not-worried he was about how tall Wembanyama is.

And that's perfectly fine with Wembanyama, who was asked if he's okay putting himself at risk to be dunked on for the sake of the blocked shot.

Wembanyama unfazed by risk of getting dunked on

"Getting dunked on is part of the game," Wembanyama said. "Until I'm getting dunked on more than I block shots, I'm going to keep going. But none of us gonna live to this day."

The day Wembanyama, who is averaging over twice as many blocks as the NBA's second-best shot blocker, gets dunked on more than he swats dunk attempts seems a far away day indeed.

Wembanyama has Spurs off to a historic start

For the first time in Spurs history, the team has started a season 5-0. When you consider the impressive history of the team and the number of Hall of Famers who have suited up for the franchise, the feat is even more remarkable. And it's due in part to the red-hot start from Wembanyama, who is making a way-too-early case for MVP by being just as much of a problem on the offensive end as he is defensively. He's sporting averages of 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and yes, 4.8 blocks.

The Spurs will look to remain unbeaten when the club takes on the Suns on Sunday.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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