Victor Wembanyama has been one of the most dominant players in the NBA this season, and his public push for MVP recognition has been hard to miss. But not everyone is impressed by the campaign. Former NBA champion Nick Young, never one to hold back, unloaded on the San Antonio Spurs star on Gil’s Arena, and his message was direct: let the game do the talking.
Nick Young Tells Victor Wembanyama to ‘Shut Up and Win’ Instead of Campaigning for MVP
Young did not ease into his critique. “I think it’s time to start letting his game do the talking,” he said. “He’s doing what he’s doing, but at some point, you know, we get it. It’s time to get ready for the playoffs, shut up and win, and then that’ll do the talking for you.”
The former Laker then acknowledged Wembanyama’s historic individual performances before pivoting back to his core point. “I didn’t know Tim Duncan never had back-to-back 40-point games. First player in Spurs history, that’s dope. It’s the only way to be the best Spur. Y’all want to give him everything else, might as well. The best Spur ever. Beg for it. Keep begging.”
Nick Young is not a fan of Wemby ‘begging’ for MVP 😬
“I think it’s time to start letting his game do the talking. He’s doing what he’s doing, but at some point you know, we get it. It’s time to get ready for the playoff, shut up and win and then that’ll do the talking for you.… pic.twitter.com/PF87yod7zS
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 2, 2026
The comments arrive at an interesting moment in the MVP race. Wembanyama is averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.9% from the field across 61 games. He has been one of the driving forces behind San Antonio’s rise to the No. 2 seed in the West at 58-18.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently argued that Wembanyama has a legitimate case not just for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, but also for Most Improved Player. This feat could make him the first player in NBA history to sweep all three in a single season.
And yet, Thursday served as a reminder of how fragile his candidacy has become. The Spurs ruled Wembanyama out against the Los Angeles Clippers because of right ankle injury management, the second night of a back-to-back, a day after he posted 41 points and 18 rebounds in a win over the Golden State Warriors.
With 62 games played, he now must appear in at least three of San Antonio’s five remaining games to satisfy the NBA’s 65-game eligibility threshold for major awards.
Young’s criticism is part of a broader skepticism surrounding the San Antonio Spurs
This is not the first time Young has taken aim at Wembanyama and the Spurs. Earlier in the season on Gil’s Arena, he compared San Antonio to last year’s Houston Rockets, a young, talented team that flamed out in the first round. “They young, stupid, and gonna get they a** whipped,” Young said at the time, dismissing the Spurs’ playoff credentials despite their regular-season dominance.
That broader skepticism around San Antonio’s postseason readiness gives Young’s latest comments added context. His issue is not with Wembanyama’s talent. He did acknowledge the historic back-to-back 40-point games. His issue remains with the optics of a 22-year-old publicly lobbying for an award while the playoffs loom.
Wembanyama himself has embraced the spotlight throughout the season, openly campaigning for MVP and speaking about what winning the award would mean to him.
For Young, a player who won a ring with the Golden State Warriors in 2017, the proof of greatness belongs on the playoff stage, not in award campaigns. Whether Wembanyama can answer that challenge, starting with staying healthy enough to even qualify for the awards he is chasing, is the defining question of his season’s final stretch.
