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Victor Wembanyama Left Fans in Awe With Extraordinary Season Opener

He might just be an alien.

Blake Silverman

Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle starred for the Spurs against the Mavs in their season opener
Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle starred for the Spurs against the Mavs in their season opener / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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Victor Wembanyama is back on the court after his second season was cut short due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder discovered in February. In the first game of his third NBA season Wednesday against the Mavericks, he looked better than ever.

It's been a while since the French phenom and first pick in the 2023 NBA draft got to amaze onlookers. His guard-like moves and control while standing at 7'4" have never been seen before, just like the remarkable highlights he can put together on any given night.

Wembanyama had 40 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in the Spurs’ 125–92 win over the Mavericks on Wednesday, recording the most points in a season opener in Spurs franchise history. It was the fifth game with 40 or more points in his young career, which includes one 50-point game last season against the Wizards. Outside the numbers, even more impressive was the sheer volume of highlight plays Wembanyama had during San Antonio's season opener, with a number of them causing fans to question what just happened.

Here are some of the best highlights Wembanyama put together during his wild performance to open the season:

Wembanyama's magic made basketball fans and personalities think their eyes may have deceived them:

Wembanyama played in 46 games last season before he was shut down in February, averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game as he earned his first All-Star appearance. He's led the NBA in blocks in each of his first two seasons and was the league's clear Rookie of the Year in the 2023-24 campaign.

At just 21 years old, Wembanyama continues to get better and better, which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.

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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.

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