"I miss this s**t”: Victor Wembanyama doesn’t mince words after wrecking second-seeded OKC Thunder

Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to a 132-118 statement home victory over the second-seeded OKC Thunder on Thursday. Afterward, the 7-foot-4 rookie sensation seized the opportunity to hype up the Spurs’ crowd.

Wembanyama put forth another well-rounded performance, recording a team-best 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, five blocks and five 3-pointers on 52.9% shooting.

Meanwhile, the Spurs bounced back after losing the last five games of their recent Western Conference road trip.

After arguably his team’s biggest win of the season, Wembanyama was asked how it felt to secure the victory in front of Spurs fans. The French phenom didn’t mince words, as he expressed satisfaction to see San Antonio get back in the win column, before leading a fan chant.

“I miss this s**t. I love it. I missed it,” Wembanyama said. “Enjoying a game and winning back from the long road trip, with more than 16,000 people that I love, [it’s the] best feeling. Hey, can we get a, ‘Go Spurs go!’ [chant]? One, two three, go Spurs go!”

Despite the win, the Spurs (12-48) remain in last place in the West, while the Thunder (41-18) remain second. Nonetheless, most would probably agree that Wembanyama’s remarkable rookie season has given Spurs fans reason to be excited about the team’s future.

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Victor Wembanyama makes statement in ROY race against Chet Holmgren

Notably, Victor Wembanyama’s standout performance against OKC came against his top competitor in the 2024 Rookie of the Year race, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren.

Wembanyama had the clear edge on Thursday, as he outperformed Holmgren in nearly every statistical category. The Thunder rookie finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one block and one 3-pointer on 66.7% shooting.

Additionally, Wembanyama put an exclamation point on his dominant performance in the game’s final minutes. The 2023 No. 1 pick hit back-to-back 3s and subsequently blocked Holmgren’s jumper, securing the rebound, as San Antonio clinched the win.

Earlier in the season, Holmgren was considered the ROY favorite. However, Wembanyama has flipped the script with his elite play over the past couple of months and is widely expected to take home the award.

Through 54 games, Wembanyama is averaging 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 3.3 blocks and 1.6 3-pointers per game on 46.7% shooting.

Meanwhile, through 59 games, Holmgren is averaging 17.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 2.6 bpg and 1.7 3pg on 54.4% shooting.

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