San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama had a whale of a game in his NBA playoff debut against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night, leading the Spurs to a 111-98 win in Game 1 of their NBA Western Conference first-round series in San Antonio, Texas.
When Wembanyama discussed his effort after the game, his comments harkened back to those of the late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
How Victor Wembanyama Channeled Kobe Bryant After His Playoff Debut
Wembanyama proved dominant against Portland on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. He finished Sunday night’s game with a plus-minus of plus-4 in 33 minutes of action.
Against the Trail Blazers, Wembanyama scored 35 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, and dished out 1 assist. The two-time All-Star was 13-for-21 from the field, including 5-of-6 from beyond the 3-point arc and 4-of-5 at the free-throw line.
While speaking with an ESPN reporter after the game, Wembanyama said, “That was a great first. We were really solid. As expected, job’s not done.”
“Job’s not done.”
Wemby not satisfied after his first playoff win 🛸 pic.twitter.com/YClyJoYjGh
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 20, 2026
After Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Lakers and Orlando Magic, Bryant sat before reporters in a postgame press conference. He didn’t look too happy at the moment. When a reporter asked him what was going on and mentioned that the Lakers were up 2-0 on the Magic, Bryant responded.
“What’s there to be happy about?” Bryant said.
“You’re up 2-0,” the reporter said.
“Job’s not finished. Job finished? I don’t think so.”
The Lakers went on to defeat the Magic in five games, and Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP.
Meanwhile, after scoring 21 of his 35 points in the first half on Sunday, Wembanyama set the NBA record for the most points in a playoff debut first half, dating back to the NBA’s play-by-play era, which began in 1997.
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The 1996-97 NBA season was the first one in which comprehensive, digitized NBA play-by-play data became available. The Frenchman’s 35 total points also set a team franchise record for the most points in a playoff debut, breaking Spurs legend Tim Duncan’s 32-point record set in 1998.
De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle added 17 points apiece for San Antonio, while Deni Avdija contributed 30 points and 10 rebounds for Portland.
Wembanyama will look to match or better his Game 1 effort in Game 2 on Tuesday night at Frost Bank Center as San Antonio tries to grab a 2-0 series lead before heading to Portland, Oregon, later in the week.
