The 10 moments that made Victor Wembanyama must-see TV during the NBA playoffs

Victor Wembanyama’s maiden postseason alternated between blockbuster and bildungsroman. He kept the world hooked, game to game and series to series, even though his San Antonio Spurs stumbled against the New York Knicks’ team of destiny in the NBA Finals.

“The Alien” has authored a swift, eventful rise through the sport. He was the No. 1 draft pick in 2023, then matched that hype with an assured Rookie of the Year campaign. The promise of his second season was suddenly curtailed by a blood clot in his right shoulder. He spent last summer training at a Shaolin monastery. And in his just-finished third season, he was minted as the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.

This spring, Wembanyama mounted his first playoff bid at 22 years old. He certainly left an impression. Maybe the 2026 playoffs will seem quaint as Future Wembanyama clutches his fistful of rings. For all we know, the highlights will be a stinging reminder of what could have been. Right now, let’s appreciate what just happened.

First round: Wembanyama’s welcome

His saga started against the Portland Trail Blazers. Though a shocking fall left him with a concussion in Game 2, Wembanyama emerged with resolve and the Spurs won the series 4-1.

Moment No. 1: The coast-to-coast introduction

A good soirée demands a cocktail hour. Why sip the French 75 when we can indulge in the French 94 (Feet)? Wembanyama punctuated his first playoff quarter by grabbing a rebound, handling the ball behind his back, spinning into a vortex and gliding toward the rim. Shaken, then stirred.

He finished this win with 35 points, which set the franchise record for a postseason debut. Tim Duncan and David Robinson were both in the building.

Moment No. 2: The swat into the stands

Back in San Antonio and with a 3-1 lead, the Spurs’ elimination of the Blazers felt like a foregone conclusion. But Wembanyama’s late swat on Deni Avdija was a special, cosmic humiliation. That ball soared beyond the backboard and out to the Great Plains. It might still be suspended in orbit, somewhere with “Event Horizon” and Bobby Shmurda’s fitted.

Second round: From ejection to elation

A far tougher task awaited at the next stage. Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves were conference finalists in consecutive years. Wembanyama had his inaugural heel turn as a flagrant 2 foul got him tossed from Game 4. After a 2-2 series split, he and the Spurs corrected course and triumphed in six.

Moment No. 3: The ‘Space Jam’ extension

A fellow countryman and defensive mountain, Rudy Gobert has become one of Wembanyama’s enduring mentors. How can years of stewardship be repaid? By taking said steward off the dribble and dunking on him with the Tune Squad elastic arm. Bad friend, great television.

Moment No. 4: The ‘Fiesta’ block party

With the glorious “Fiesta” colorway decorating his home gym, what else was Wembanyama to do? The new DPOY threw a block party of historic proportions. His 12 stuffs became the league’s new all-time high for a single playoff game. It was majestic and indignant.

The Wolves managed to win that night, but the star Spur established himself for the series en route to a ridiculous 4.2 blocks per game. And Minnesota was eventually vanquished to the other side of “Graffiti Bridge.”

Conference finals: Toughness in tears

It was always meant to come to this. Wembanyama didn’t care to hide his disdain for the Oklahoma City Thunder, defending NBA champions. The ensuing seven-game showdown gave his Spurs new reign of the West.

Moment No. 5: The Thunder strike

Jamming on the back-to-back MVP is cool. Jamming on an archenemy is also cool. Putting the two together? Now we’re cooking with gas. Wembanyama split Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren to disarm the Thunder in Game 1. “Loud City” got awfully quiet. And, against sound reason, time would reveal an even nastier highlight down the stretch.

Moment No. 6: The all-timer

Wembanyama conjured an overtime (and double-overtime) performance for the ages. His Game 1 encore set seeped into monoculture, shared in disbelief across the basketball pocket dimensions. An inspired Kendrick Perkins looked into summer camp with the monks. Alien emoji were blasted through group chats at never-before-seen rates. 

The game-tying pull-up trey evoked Stephen Curry — an almost identical tracing, except this shooter was stretched out like conjoined string cheese sticks. And the game-saving rejection evoked French impressionism, as if museum glass could contain such grandeur. The total came to 41 points, 24 boards and one had-to-be-there stunner.

Moment No. 7: The 43-footer

File it under “things that are really hard to do but look kind of easy for this dude.” The file needed to be cleared out a few times throughout these conference finals. Wembanyama’s half-court halftime buzzer-beater in Game 4 drew a full-on squeal from announcer Mike Tirico.

Moment No. 8: The catharsis

While undeniably brilliant in action, a segment of the league’s incumbent superstar class carries a certain emotionlessness after the whistle. Players cultivate and protect their “aura.” Career-defining moments get repurposed, if not repeated. In contrast, Wembanyama’s visceral exultation at the end of Game 7 was striking. He led a conquest that dethroned the champs, on the road and under pressure.

He reached his first NBA Finals, and he let it all out. We all want that feeling back.

NBA Finals: Down to earth

These playoffs were ultimately owned by the Knicks, who closed the portal on a 53-year championship drought in unimaginable fashion. Their one-of-a-kind run will be romanticized until the end of days. But we won’t just shred the rest of this book because we know its ending. And Wembanyama still had his chance to shine.

Moment No. 9: The end-to-end emphasis

Though it wasn’t the finish that he wanted, Wembanyama did approach the finals with his refreshing two-pronged ambition. This Game 1 block came as he sprinted in transition and turned his back to Josh Hart. The ricochet off the glass was extra telegenic, and the immediate follow-up 3 earned a great crowd pop. It was futuristic, if eventually fleeting.

Moment No. 10: The lob landing

So … a sequel must be in development, right?

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