Victor Wembanyama went up against his favorite player Kevin Durant for the first time in his young career and the matchup certainly didn’t disappoint.
The 13-time All-Star and the 2023 number one pick went dunk for dunk at one point, and Durant also made an impressive shot while Wemby was guarding him.
Kevin Durant shot over Wemby
pic.twitter.com/xECsIq4Mkp— DurantMuse (@DurantMuse_) November 1, 2023
San Antonio’s center Wembanyama got off to a slow start, but helped his side back from a 20-point deficit and came away with a 115-114 victory against Phoenix.
The Suns led the game for 47 minutes, 58.8 seconds, but Keldon Johnson plucked the ball from Durant in the dying seconds to literally steal the win.
Wembanyama finished the night with 18 points, eight assists and four blocks and reflected on his first game against future Hall-of-Famer, KD.
“I learned that I’m far from mastering the game as much as him, because I tried to do some stuff like him but I think I’m not maybe patient enough,” Wembanyama said. “I think I want to go too fast, but he goes to his own pace and goes to his spots. I think I have to, not copy that, but get inspired by that.
“He’s special, you know? He’s a problem. His teammates look for him and make him a problem the way they set up plays. He’s one of the toughest players to guard in the league. I haven’t seen the whole of him or of the other players of the league, but I think he’s up there,” he added.
Durant also had high praise for his new opponent.
“He’s gonna be a force in this league for a long time,” Durant said of Wembanyama. “Once he continues to get experience under his belt, he’s just gonna get even better.”
Fans won’t have to wait too long to see the pair matchup again, since they play on Thursday November 2 at Footprint Center.
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