Victor Wembanyama took it personal watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receive MVP trophy
Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic 41-point, 24-rebound performance after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received the MVP award in the Spurs' Game 1 double-OT win.
San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama delivered a performance for the history books in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder . In just his 10th career playoff game, Wembanyama erupted for 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists and three blocks across 49 minutes, powering San Antonio to a 122-115 double-overtime win over OKC and a 1-0 series lead. But the timing of the performance only added more intrigue.
Moments before tip-off Monday night at Paycom Center, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander officially received the NBA MVP trophy from commissioner Adam Silver. Gilgeous-Alexander collected 83 first-place votes, while Wembanyama finished third behind Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic with five. And while Wembanyama kept a measured tone afterward, the competitive fire underneath the surface was difficult to ignore.
“Yeah, for sure,” Wembanyama said when asked if the matchup became personal after watching Gilgeous-Alexander receive the award. “It feels like I’ve still got a lot to learn, and I want to get that trophy many times in my career. ” More: Jalen Williams was great, but Wemby was better in Game 1 of Thunder-Spurs The Spurs star has never hidden how strongly he values two-way dominance, either.
As the MVP race began to heat up in March, Wembanyama publicly argued that defense had become undervalued in award discussions, calling himself the best defender in basketball. Weeks later, he backed up the claim by becoming the first unanimous winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson didn’t hesitate when asked beforehand whether the MVP race added motivation for Wembanyama.