Victor Wembanyama showed all the poise of an NBA veteran as he helped his San Antonio Spurs side edge a tight battle with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Despite being down by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter the Spurs would somehow run out 118-116 winners over their opponents.
The Spurs were without veteran Chris Paul for much of the game after he was ejected after two quick technical fouls. Paul recently moved second in the all-time assists rankings.
The win would not come simply for the Spurs as Wembanyama was forced to the free-throw line to secure the match.
At the age of just 20, and with the weight of San Antonio on his back, the youngster stepped up with total calmness to bury both free throws with just 2.4 seconds left on the clock.
The win would extend the Spurs’ win streak to two games and their record in the Western Conference is now positive at 13-12.
You can see why Spurs legend Tony Parker has backed Wemby to help France win the gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The game-winner revealed what was going through his head as he approached the free-throw line.
While the nerves would impact many 20-year-olds attempting to win the game for their franchise at the free-throw line, Wemby is built differently.
He shows that age is just a number in his leadership on the court.
Speaking to the media following the latest win Wemby spoke about his game-winning free throws: “My poise comes through repetition, I’ve thrown thousands of free throws for many years so it’s what I think about when I’m out there.”
Wemby went on to explain that it was ‘what his body feels’ in terms of muscle memory that helped him at the free throw line. He landed all ten of his free throws against the Trail Blazers.
The French giant has impressed since joining the NBA last season and recently became the youngest Center in NBA history to reach the 50-point milestone in a game.
While Wembanyama will be judged more closely on his blocks, rebounds and point-scoring away from the free-throw line these game-winning opportunities highlight the importance.
Wemby explained how he had thrown ‘thousands’ of free throws so how does that reflect in terms of NBA efficiency?
| 2023/24 | 2024/25 | |
| Free Throws Made | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 5.2 | 3.9 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 79.6% | 88.5% |
The stats show Wemby’s increased confidence at the free-throw line so far this season, which may be down to becoming more comfortable in the NBA in his second season.
If he can continue to drop these numbers this season he will certainly help win more games for his Spurs side.
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