Victor Wembanyama Follows in Tim Duncan’s Footsteps in Game 4 Win Over Blazers – heavy.com

San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama followed in Tim Duncan’s footsteps in the team’s comeback win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
On Sunday, the Spurs took a 3-1 series lead over the Trail Blazers as the team overcame a 19-point deficit to come back and win 114-93. Wembanyama, who missed Game 3 with a concussion, returned to the lineup in Game 4 and put up a historic stat line, helping lead the Spurs to victory. The Frenchman finished the game with 27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 7 blocks in 34 minutes played.
According to Underdog NBA, Wembanyama became the first player since the Spurs legend Duncan in 2003 to record a playoff game with 25+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 10+ stocks. In other words, Wembanyama is showing everyone why he is hyped up to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time, following in the footsteps of one of his mentors, Duncan.
27 PTS 11 REB 7 BLK 4 STL
First player with 25+ PTS, 10+ REB, 10+ stocks in a playoff game since Tim Duncan in 2003.
It goes without saying that Wembanyama is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Yes, he is only 22 and in his third NBA season, but everything is pointing to him being one of the greatest players this game has ever seen. At 7’4″ and weighing 235 lbs, we have not seen someone of his size play the way he does in a long time.  In just his third season in the NBA, he became the first player to unanimously win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and he will finish in the top three in MVP voting. Considering he is only in his third NBA season, this is just the start. As long as he stays healthy, he has all of the tools necessary to become a legend of the game.
Like Duncan, Wembanyama was a No. 1 overall pick who came into the NBA with tons of hype and who lived up to it immediately. Both of them won Rookie of the Year, and both of them were elite defensive players. Of course, Duncan proved over his 19 NBA seasons that he was one of the greatest players to ever lace up his basketball shoes and step on the court. He won two MVP awards, five NBA Championships, and was the NBA Finals MVP three times. So for Wembanyama to be in the same conversation as Duncan says a lot about him, and it says a lot about the Spurs as an organization, one that knows how to develop a winning program.
The Spurs still have a long way to go in this year’s playoffs, but there is every reason to think they can make a deep run in the tough Western Conference. They still have to get past the Trail Blazers, but assuming they do, they will next take on the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. the Denver Nuggets. If they win that series, they could be on a collision course with the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. But with Wembanyama guarding the paint for the Spurs and posting historic stat lines, there is every reason to think the Spurs can make a legitimate title run.
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Adam Martin Adam Martin is a sports journalist with over 15 years of experience. He has a speciality in MMA, while also covering the Big 4 Sports. Adam is currently a contributor to Heavy.com, with previous experience working for The Toronto Star, Sportsnet, theScore, Bookies, BJPenn.com, and MMAOddsbreaker.com. More about Adam Martin
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