San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama made NBA history on Monday night, recording the league's first triple-double with blocked shots as one of the categories in over three years. Wembanyama's impressive performance included 27 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 10 blocks in just 29 minutes, helping the Spurs secure a 122-99 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Prior to this game, Wembanyama had already established himself as the NBA's leading shot-blocker this season.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich praised Wembanyama's versatility on the court, stating, 'He did a little bit of everything, obviously.' The last time a player achieved a triple-double with blocks was on January 22, 2021, when Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks recorded 13 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This also marked the last time any player in the NBA blocked 10 shots in a single game.
When it comes to triple-doubles with blocks, Hakeem Olajuwon tops the list since the statistic started being officially recorded in the NBA. Olajuwon accomplished this feat an impressive 11 times, followed by Dikembe Mutombo with 10 and Spurs Hall of Famer David Robinson with 9. Robinson's exceptional skills even led to a rare quadruple-double during his career. Another Spurs player who achieved a triple-double with blocks was Artis Gilmore, accomplishing this feat once during the 1984-85 season.
Wembanyama's exceptional shot-blocking ability and imposing figure have caught the attention of opposing teams. Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic acknowledged the challenge of playing against Wembanyama, stating, 'Wembanyama is the player who's going to play in this league for the next 15 years. We need to figure out how to attack and how to play against him. Definitely a player who's unique with his size and shot-blocking ability. We've got to do a much better job of figuring out how to play against that.'
The 7-foot-3 Wembanyama was selected as the number one pick in last year's NBA draft, and he continues to make an impact in his rookie season. His stellar performance earned him a spot in the upcoming All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. Wembanyama is set to participate in the Rising Stars game on Friday night and showcase his skills in the Skills Competition on Saturday night.
With his exceptional shot-blocking prowess and ability to contribute across multiple categories, Victor Wembanyama is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. As he continues to make his mark on the league, the basketball world eagerly awaits his future accomplishments and the impact he will have on the game for years to come.
