SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama gave himself a birthday gift on Thursday night: a lob off the backboard for a huge dunk.
The circus play made for an absurd addition to his already prolific highlight reel. It happened in the second quarter of his first game against Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had driven in for poster jam just one play earlier. Perhaps he was feeling himself afterward, so much so that he got a little greedy.
The former Finals MVP tried to reach his long arms around Wembanyama's body and poke away a steal, but he couldn't quite reach. Wembanyama kept possession of the ball, but he terminated his dribble. Outside the 3-point arc, this is where most players would pass the ball and reset.
Wemby chose a far more entertaining option.
He took one step toward the paint, then planted his left foot about 20 feet from the cup. He realized that might be too far a jump even for him, so he scooped the ball off the backboard, launched a little closer, caught the carom and crammed it in.
This is not the first time a player has bailed themselves out with this type of highlight, but most of the time the guy has at least a foot in the paint when he starts it. This is potentially the first self lob where the player picked the ball up outside the arc, and it's a dramatic reminder that Victor Wembanyama is capable of the ridiculous and spectacular every single time he steps on a basketball court.
He gave us another reminder in a furious stretch in the third quarter. He zapped a pass with his extendo arm, drove coast to coast, sent the ball around his back and forced it down through the foul.