Wild Wembanyama block goes viral as teammate joins him on historic Spurs list
Victor Wembanyama is nicknamed ‘The Alien’ for good reason. Against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, the 7ft 3in San Antonio Spurs star stunned fans with a standing block. His cas…
Basketball
Victor Wembanyama is nicknamed 'The Alien' for good reason.
Against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, the 7ft 3in San Antonio Spurs star stunned fans with a standing block.
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Wemby proved why he was the NBA's Rookie of the Year with an impressive block against the HornetsCredit: Getty
His casual rejection - which quickly went viral on social media - happened when DaQuan Jeffries made his way to towards the basket in the third quarter.
As Jeffries released his shot, Wemby stood in his way.
With one foot still planted on the glass, the Spurs star reached up and grabbed the ball, before turning and passing to a teammate all in one smooth motion.
"Oh my goodness, I don't think I've ever seen a block like that before," the commentator remarked as the moment unfolded.
And he wasn't the only one stunned by Wemby's effort, with many fans taking to social media to react to the standing block.
"That’s just DISRESPECTFUL," one person wrote.
"Wemby should be banned from the league. It’s not fair to the rest of the NBA," another said.
"That wingspan is just unfair," a third person wrote, as a fourth likened the play to a 'dad blocking his five-year-old kid.'
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With one simple play, Wemby showed exactly why he was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year last season.
And another young Spurs star joined him in the history books with an impressive performance against the Hornets.
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Wemby went viral with an insane standing block against the HornetsCredit: x: @BleacherReport
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He showed off his impressive wingspan with the moment that stunned fansCredit: x: @NBA
Rookie Stephon Castle, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, put up 33 points on Friday night.
In doing so, he became just the seventh rookie in Spurs history with a 30-point game.
David Robinson (16), Wembanyama (11), Tim Duncan (8), Willie Anderson (5), Greg Anderson (1) and Jeremy Sochan (1) are the only other players to do that.
But even Wemby's standing block, and Castle's game-high 33 points, weren't enough to inspire San Antonio to victory on Friday night.
The Spurs lost 117-116 to the Hornets in a wild finish, when Miles Bridges knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner off a wraparound feed from LaMelo Ball with 1.4 seconds left on the clock.
San Antonio's De’Aaron Fox appeared to respond with a winning three at the buzzer, but referees gathered after the play and ruled he did not get the shot off in time.
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Bridges secured the Hornets the win with less than two seconds on the clockCredit: Getty
Charlotte's victory was then confirmed, with the dramatic result snapping a six-game skid.
The Spurs, meanwhile, fall to a record of 22-27, and sit 12th in the Western Conference.