The San Antonio Spurs’ future looked bright when they selected Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Three years later, those expectations are becoming reality, as the 22-year-old has led the franchise to its first playoff series win in nine years.
Wembanyama once again led from the front on Tuesday, delivering a double-double performance to secure a 4-1 series victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox even drew a surprising comparison between his teammate and Stephen Curry.
Why De’Aaron Fox Compares Victor Wembanyama to Stephen Curry
Wembanyama has been outstanding this season and is arguably having the best campaign of his young NBA career. He became the first player to win Defensive Player of the Year unanimously and is right there in the MVP race.
In Game 5 against the Trail Blazers, Wembanyama impressed again in just his second game back from a concussion. He finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 blocks in 34 minutes, leading the Spurs to a 114-95 win.
Following the game, Fox highlighted Wembanyama’s unique impact, comparing it to Curry’s influence on the court.
“It’s like no one else. I mean, between probably him and Steph, like, those are the only guys that you see that have the type of gravity that they have, and it’s amazing to play with, and Steph can just throw the ball to the moon,” Fox said in his postgame interview.
Curry, a 4-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and has been the face of the Warriors’ dynasty for over a decade. Wembanyama appears to be on a similar trajectory with the Spurs.
Wemby loves it.
Wemby’s dad loves it.WEMBY’S 6 BLOCKS POWER THE SPURS TO THE WEST SEMIS! https://t.co/4gkZ4BZKmR pic.twitter.com/vXWWeZrJxR
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2026
As Fox suggested, while Curry commands unmatched attention on offense, Wembanyama creates a similar level of impact on the defensive end. At the same time, his offensive game continues to evolve, earning high praise from Shaquille O’Neal, who recently called him the first “perfect big man” in NBA history.
That is rare praise from O’Neal, one of the greatest centers of all time, who has often been critical of fellow big men.
With this series win over the Blazers, the Spurs now advance to the second round for the first time since 2017, and Wembanyama is happy with the team’s direction.
“It feels like a step passed, step 1 done. I’m personally happy to see things are moving forward in the right direction,” he said postgame.
San Antonio will now face the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets series in the Western Conference semifinals.
Bro, duh…Fox was referring to Stephon Castle not Curry!