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SGA won MVP. Victor Wembanyama looked like the best player alive

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SGA won MVP. Victor Wembanyama looked like the best player alive

There was a point in the night, after he plucked a rebound from the sky with one hand, that Victor Wembanyama laughed at him.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just short-rimmed a six-foot push shot. It was a shot so routine for Gilgeous-Alexander, who only two hours prior had claimed his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player award, that it was perplexing as to why he had smoked it so badly.

But Wembanyama had been looming nearby. His pull and gravity, the knowledge that he can extend his reach to swat just about any shot, forced Gilgeous-Alexander to hesitate and recalculate — in a fleeting instant — the possibility that Wembanyama might erase the shot.

The Thunder were down seven and time was running out.

Wembanyama grabbed the board and all Gilgeous-Alexander could do was to wrap Wembanyama and foul him in obvious frustration.

This was when Wembanyama shooed Gilgeous-Alexander away and laughed at him. This was when Wembanyama became the best basketball player in the world.

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Oklahoma City Thunder fans react during Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center on May 18, 2026.

And so, on the night Gilgeous-Alexander was the one to be celebrated, Wembanyama delivered an all-time performance as his San Antonio Spurs stunned Oklahoma City in double overtime, 122-115, to steak Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Wembanyama played nearly 49 minutes and dropped 41 points on a 14-of-25 night, hauling in 24 rebounds, nine of which were offensive. He blocked 3 shots, dished out 3 assists and picked up 1 steal.

He went 5-of-6 in both overtime periods, scoring 14 points and scooping 7 rebounds after regulation.

He became just the second player to drop at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a conference finals debut … joining all-time legend Wilt Chamberlain.

He became just the second player aged 22 or younger to reach those figures. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the only other to do so, and it came when he was called Lew Alcindor.

Wembanyama also sent the clear and distinct message that no other player on the planet impacts the game the way he does.

In the 48:42 that Wembanyama played, the Thunder shot 31-of-84 from the field, or 36.9%.

In the 19:18 he was on the bench, Oklahoma City’s shooting splits swelled to 10-of-17, or 58.8% — a 21.9% swing.

“I think that young man has a rare desire to step in every moment that’s in front of him,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game. “I think he has shown in his three years, in a lot of different situations and a lot of different circumstances that he’s going to attack those moments.”

Wembanyama is maniacal in his competitive spirit, and that’s intended to be a high compliment. He appears consumed by the pursuit of excellence in a way that’s probably not healthy. But it’s what drives the all-time greats to the heights they eventually reach.

After the game, a reporter asked Wembanyama if there was any additional motivation to show out on the night Gilgeous-Alexander accepted the MVP trophy, becoming just the 14th player in NBA history to win the honor in consecutive seasons. The reporter asked if Wembanyama, who openly campaigned for MVP late in the regular season, took it personally.

“Yeah, for sure,” Wembanyama said. “Everything you just said.”

When pressed about the matter, Wembanyama did not shy away from his pursuit.

“I still got a lot to learn,” Wembanyama added. “I want to get that trophy many times in my career.”

This is the scary part about Wembanyama, at least for the rest of the NBA. He has been transparent (if not vulnerable) about publicly admitting how inexperienced he and his Spurs are, about how much they still have to learn. He has led the charge in San Antonio embracing this beginner’s mind.

At this point, it seems like a near certainty that Wembanyama will win MVP in his career. The more interesting question appears to be how many.

Wembanyama also has the immeasurable gift of shining brightest in the highest-pressure situations.

Monday night, with San Antonio down by three with 26.3 seconds left in the first overtime, Wembanyama pulled up for a transition 3 from the logo, 28 feet away from the basket.

“Pshhh confidence through the roof,” Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper told reporters after the game. “I was stunned, a little bit. But once the ball went up, I was like, ‘Oh that’s going in.’ It’s kind of just who he is. He’s one-of-a-kind.”

Game 1 was special, and Wembanyama is singular; that much became clear. But he’ll be measured by how San Antonio fares the rest of the way.

Oklahoma City is an excellent team, one that will adjust and respond. He can start crafting this legacy he wants with a trip to the NBA Finals. Monday night showed it’s well within reach.

“The message would be that we, as a team, are ready to go in any environment, in any place, against anybody — and even though we still got a lot to learn — our effort should be (more) than anybody else’s. Tonight we were relentless,” Wembanyama said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SGA won MVP — then Victor Wembanyama happened

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