Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation, added another milestone to his rapidly growing NBA career by achieving his second triple-double, this time including an impressive 10 blocks, during Monday night’s 122-99 win against the Toronto Raptors.
Wembanyama secured his triple-double with blocks when he rejected a shot by the Raptors’ Gradey Dick with 6:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, marking the NBA’s first triple-double with blocked shots as one of the categories in over three years.
Up until that moment, the 7’3″ rookie showcased an exceptional all-around performance, accumulating 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists in just 29 minutes of play. According to sources, Wembanyama became the first player to achieve 10 blocks and 5 assists in under 30 minutes played.
“I felt great today. Great rhythm, started the game strong. I guess it’s just the NBA, you know. We’ve got ups and downs in terms of shape, and today was an up day,” Wembanyama remarked after the historic game.
Leading the league in blocked shots, Wembanyama’s remarkable feat comes after Monday’s game where he became the first rookie since Tim Duncan in 1997-98 to amass 150 blocks, 150 assists, and 50 steals in a season.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich commended his star rookie’s versatility, stating, “He did a little bit of everything. Obviously, he’s an all-around talented player. He’s got a great feel for the game and it shows in a variety of ways, whether it’s passing or making decisions, blocking shots.”
Wembanyama’s triple-double with blocks is the first since Clint Capela achieved this feat in 2021, and it also marks the return of a player blocking 10 shots in a game since that date.
Hakeem Olajuwon holds the record for the most triple-doubles with blocks, recording it 11 times, followed by Dikembe Mutombo and Spurs Hall of Famer David Robinson.
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic acknowledged Wembanyama’s unique abilities, 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.”
Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA draft, is set to participate in his first All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, featuring in the Rising Stars game on Friday night and the skills challenge on Saturday night.
His previous triple-double occurred on Jan. 10 against the Detroit Pistons, where he recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists but without blocks.
