14 October 2023 , 14:56
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Victor Wembanyama will leave NBA players shaking in their boots after performing a monstrous dunk.
The Frenchman is preparing for his rookie campaign by getting some time on the court during preseason. The 19-year-old and his San Antonio Spurs teammates took on the Miami Heat at the AT&T Center in Texas.
With the chance to impress in front of his home fans, the Frenchman did not disappoint as he recorded 23 points, four assists, four rebounds, and three blocks in a thrilling all-around display. He showed his range of skills and ability to score in different ways and perhaps his most impressive play came in the second half.
Teammate Devin Vassell began to drive down the lane toward the rim but rather than attempting a layup, he laid the ball off to Wembanyama. The teenager took the ball into the paint before rising high above his opponents with ease before completing an explosive dunk.
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The 7-foot-4 rookie was all over the floor and showcased the skills that made him the number one pick in the 2023 Draft. He showed his range of skills and ability to score in different ways, including turnaround jump shots and even a Eurostep dunk. Wembanyama received the ball just inside the three-point line before slaloming his way to the basket and slamming the ball through the hoop with authority.
The Heat were missing their key players, but the Spurs ran out 120-104 winners and won their first pre-season match after a narrow 122-121 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that game, the Frenchman scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in just 19 minutes, but his improved performance at home has given him plenty of confidence.
“What I felt from the previous game, sometimes when I get the ball I don't even need to dribble and I see defenders coming to face me and forgetting about their own guy," Wembanyama said post-game explaining the differences between his first two pre-season games. "When it's a shooter like Dev, it's the easy option to pass it out to him.”
The Frenchman produced some sensational dunks in the 120-104 victory over the Miami Heat (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was very impressed with the youngster and he is very happy with the progress Wembanyama has made so far. "He's obviously a gifted player who was very humbly trying to find his place," he said. "I called one play for him all night and I think he got over 20.
“He just did that because he's a good basketball player and he understands how to play, so we have to make sure that we blend that with everything else that we have." Vassell scored 21 points and he made two three point shots which were assisted by his rookie teammate. In awe of his eurostep dunk, the 23-year-old said: "He didn't even dribble.
"He is going to make special plays. I'm going to keep talking about it, he is going to make a play every game where you just look down like what the heck just happened." The Spurs’ next preseason game will take place against the Houston Rockets in the early hours of Tuesday, October 17.