Victor Wembayana delivered another impressive performance for the San Antonio Spurs, as comparisons to NBA legend Michael Jordan continue to grow.
The Spurs extended their perfect start to the season with a 107-101 victory over the Miami Heat, securing their fifth consecutive win.
It is the first time in the franchise's history that they have opened an NBA campaign with five straight victories, and Wembanyana has been central to their success.
The Frenchman played 40 minutes in the latest victory, finishing with a team-high 27 points, six assists and an impressive 18 rebounds - more than double the Spurs' second highest total.
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There has been a noticeable improvement in Wembanyana's performances during the opening weeks of the season.
He is averaging 30.2 points per game, up from 24.3 last year, while his rebounding numbers have also risen from 11 to 14.6 per game.
After such a strong start, there is already speculation about what this young Spurs side could achieve.
Wembanyana, who was the first pick of the draft in 2023, has already developed into one of the league's most complete players.
Last season, he joined six-time NBA champion Jordan as the only players in NBA history to record consecutive matches with at least five steals and five blocks.
After that game, he said: “I wonder if he did it in wins, not losses. To me, it’s secondary.
"Hopefully… we can look back & think this is a good performance. As of today, I can’t be satisfied with a loss.”
The Spurs have not won the championship since 2014, and while they are not yet among the favourites to reach the Finals, their early-season form has inspired optimism.
"It feels great," the 21-year-old said.
"It's not random. We didn't get those five wins randomly.
"We worked for it. We started this season strong, and we need to keep that streak going for as long as possible.
"That instant, I'm feeling like it's like the exclamation point when we have [a] 99% chance of winning the game.
"It's just me feeding off that energy."
Wembanyama continued: "It feels great because it was a hard game and it feels good to have this relief and to live that with these people.
"I was thinking about the 5-0 record, the Spurs' history and I was just proud of being a Spur at that moment."
The Spurs return to action on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.
With the Suns managing just one win from their opening five games, it offers San Antonio a great opportunity to extend their winning start.
Topics: NBA, Basketball, Michael Jordan
James Taylor