Victor Wembanyama seems to have reached the potential that the entire NBA world was raving about when he was drafted by the Spurs in 2023. He has dropped a 40-point masterclass on the Mavericks with ease during the opening night of the regular season to lead his team to a 125-92 win over Dallas.
But what shocked the NBA world even more during this game was that Wembanyama was pulling off moves that no one expected him to have perfected at this point in his career.
A double crossover between the legs followed by a stepback three that became a four-point play over Dereck Lively II. Sounds like a move that a guard would use in the league. But it was Wembanyama who pulled this off after a block on the defensive end just seconds before. Take a look for yourself.
WEMBY WITH THE BLOCK AND THE SIZEUP 😳
Can’t believe what we’re watching on ESPN and the ESPN App 🤯 pic.twitter.com/HC6kRpYl3A
— ESPN (@espn) October 23, 2025
Several NBA players took to social media after they saw this play during the game and expressed how stunned they were to see Wembanyama pull off these moves.
“The Spurs might have to pay Wemby 5 years, $1 billion in all CASH,” wrote Kendrick Perkins, the former Celtics player who turned into an ESPN analyst, on X.
“Wemby is unreal! 😳” wrote the former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins on X.
“San Antonio looking good,” wrote the former Spurs star Rudy Gay on social media.
With a 7’5″ height, Wembanyama has unlocked a whole new avenue of offense for the Spurs, in line with what they anticipated his potential would be when he was drafted. He pulled off several moves like a fadeaway shot over Anthony Davis and even a reverse slam dunk while driving in at full speed that created the impression to all basketball fans that Wembanyama is close to realizing his full potential in just year three.
THE MOST DOMINANT WEMBY PERFORMANCE EVER. ENJOY THIS 3 MINUTE LONG HIGHLIGHT REEL.
⬛40 PTS
⬜15 REB
⬛ 1 STL
⬜ 3 BLK
⬛ +31
⬜0 TOVS ‼️
⬛15/21 FG% pic.twitter.com/IhPQa5DHps
— jedi (@victorjediyama) October 23, 2025
In a battle that marked the 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg’s NBA regular-season debut, Wembanyama, the former No. 1 pick, completely took over and overshadowed a potentially lifelong memory for Flagg. But Flagg was not having the most memorable game either.
Wembanyama finished the game with 40 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks with one assist, and one steal. He shot 71.4% from the field and 50% from beyond the three-point line. An unreal way to start the season for the future superstar. Meanwhile, Flagg finished the game with only 10 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 30.8% from the field.
Clearly, whatever Wembanyama was up to in the offseason in China and with NBA legends like Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwon has yielded its fruit. No one should now question ESPN’s Top 100 list that said Wembanyama is already a top-five player in the league, solely based on his potential in just year three.
