Victor Wembanyama has started the 2025-26 NBA season as an MVP candidate. Going into Sunday’s clash against the Phoenix Suns, Wemby and the San Antonio Spurs had a 5-0 record. The Frenchman’s averages through those five wins were 30.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 4.8 blocks per game.
But the Spurs hit their first bump of the season against the Suns, losing 130-118. What’s more, Wembanyama looked far from an MVP-caliber player during the game. He has just nine points on the night, to go along with nine rebounds and four blocks. And all the praise on social media has now turned to trolling.
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This is an abysmal stat line for an MVP candidate. Add to the fact that it led to the first loss of the season, all of Wemby’s haters came out of the woodwork.
“Finally played a real Center and turned into Rudy Gobert,” one fan wrote. “So this guy is supposed to MVP over Luka, yeah right,” said another.
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“NASA has confirmed Wemby is human… I REPEAT WEMBY IS HUMAN!” wrote a third fan. “There’s levels to this still. He clearly took a leap, but still has to mature his game,” observed a fourth fan.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama drives against Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
“1 bad game and people acting like he’s not top 5, get a grip,” a fifth fan said, defending Wemby. “This is nothing but a blip, he’s still gonna be MVP – mark my words,” a sixth fan claimed.
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One bad game is meaningless considering how good Wembanyama has been otherwise. However, when MVP talks begin and some try to crown a player the best in the world, it leads to heightened scrutiny. Wembanyama needs a bounce-back performance after this, so the Lakers better watch out.
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