Why Victor Wembanyama’s start to the season is unlike anything the NBA has seen before

Victor Wembanyama’s rise has reached full speed. If nothing unusual happens, he is on track to win Defensive Player of the Year, compete for MVP and sign a massive new contract.

In the NBA, the conversation around him has already shifted. He is shattering so many narratives that people now wonder not whether he’s 7-foot-4, but if he has grown even more, pushing close to 7-foot-6. Soon, the question will be whether he can already be MVP in just his third season.

He could also win Most Improved Player and, barring any setbacks, claim his first of many Defensive Player of the Year awards. As a rookie in 2023-24, he finished second behind Rudy Gobert. Last season he was on pace to win before blood clots forced him to stop in February. Even though he played only 46 games, fewer than the 65 now required, he still led the league in total blocks and made his first All-Star appearance.

The leap into the unknown

Now, Wembanyama is taking the next step, one that could put him in uncharted territory. At 21, the Frenchman from Le Chesnay already looks on the same level as the world’s best: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

His impact on offense is monumental, and his defense is transforming how the game is played. The Spurs have opened the season with five straight wins for the first time in franchise history. It has been almost six years since San Antonio last won five in a row, so how far can they go?

On paper, they are still a young, developing team. But with Wembanyama, they have a chance to win every time they step on the court. The 2023 No. 1 draft pick is now joined by Stephon Castle, the 2024 No. 4 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year, and Dylan Harper, the 2025 No. 2 pick and a point guard with star potential.

Wembanyama’s historic numbers

During San Antonio’s 5-0 start, Wembanyama is averaging 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 4.8 blocks, 1.4 steals and shooting 56.3 percent from the field. Those numbers almost defy logic. He is the first player ever to record at least 150 points, 70 rebounds, 20 blocks and 5 three-pointers over a five-game span.

To find a player averaging 30 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks to start a season, you have to go back to Patrick Ewing in 1990, Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993 and Shaquille O’Neal in 2001.

Perhaps the most staggering stat of all: through 121 NBA games, Wembanyama has scored more points than LeBron James, grabbed more rebounds than Karl Malone, blocked more shots than Olajuwon and made more three-pointers than Stephen Curry in the same stretch of their careers. The definition of a complete player.

Wembanyama‘s “brutal, violent” offseason

It’s the natural progression of an unnatural player. Last summer, after the serious scare with blood clots, Wembanyama skipped EuroBasket and adopted a new training approach that he described as “brutal, more violent.”

His goal was to reconnect with his body and mind. His coaches called his defensive workouts “hellish.” He spent time at the Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou practicing kung fu and Chan meditation, then visited NASA facilities in Texas, where he met astronaut Peggy Whitson, the woman who has spent the most days spent in space.

The Spurs bargain that won’t last

For now, Wembanyama remains a bargain for the Spurs’ front office. This season, he earns $13.3 million, less than 137 other NBA players. His rookie contract, set by draft scale for the 2023 No. 1 pick, covers four years and $55.1 million.

This summer, entering his third professional season, he will be eligible to sign his first max extension: five years, projected at around $271 million. That figure could reach $326 million if next season he makes an All-NBA Team, wins Defensive Player of the Year, or captures MVP, which would lift his salary share from 25 percent to 30 percent of the team cap.

If healthy, it seems certain he will qualify for at least one of those categories. That would raise his annual salary above $65 million, surpassing Stephen Curry’s current league-high $59.6 million.

Wembanyama now accounts for less than 9 percent of San Antonio’s salary cap, but that will soon change. If his next deal includes a player option for the fifth year, he could opt out after four seasons and sign another supermax extension projected at five years and $513 million starting in the summer of 2031. That would push his earnings past $100 million per season.

Next year, however, he will still be on a fixed $16.8 million salary before his first extension kicks in with the Spurs in 2027-28.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.