Through two games of the 2026 NBA Finals, Victor Wembanyama has the stat lines of a dominant player but the results of an absolute losing guy. He put up 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in Game 1, followed by 29 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and four blocks in Game 2.
These are solid numbers on paper, but his actual performance on the floor tells a very different story. In Game 1, he shot only 6-for-21 from the field and committed six turnovers, with Karl-Anthony Towns holding him to 2-for-11 shooting.
In Game 2, the Spurs scored 14 points late in the fourth quarter to tie the game but Wemby’s lack of aggression and an immature pass to Stephon Castle during a do-or-die situation ruined San Antonio's final possession and sealed the win for New York.
Now, the Spurs are down 0-2 heading into enemy territory at MSG and Wemby has been the story for all the wrong reasons in crunch time.
That is the backdrop for Dwyane Wade's challenge. Speaking on his WY Network platform, the Miami Heat legend compared Wembanyama's current struggles to his own 2006 NBA Finals, when the Heat fell behind 0-2 against the Dallas Mavericks. He thinks Wemby needs to find a gear nobody has seen yet.
"What Wemby's done has been incredible, I need to see more," Wade said. "If you're gonna win this championship, we're gonna have to see Wemby go to the level that we think Wemby can go to. He's shown us he can. I knew the opportunity that was in front of me and I didn't want the opportunity to pass me by, and so I end up discovering a player that I never had seen before. That guy who averaged 34.7 in the Finals, I never seen him before."
Dwyane Wade says for Wemby to come back and win this championship, he has to perform at a level we all think he can đź‘€
“What Wemby’s done has been incredible, I need to see more. If you’re gonna win this championship… we’re gonna have to see Wemby go to the level that we think… pic.twitter.com/F1Vy7lwLUY
— Wy Network by Dwyane Wade (@wynetwork) June 6, 2026
Wade famously pushed past his limits to average 39.3 points over those final four games, completing one of the most dominant turnarounds in Finals history.
While that blueprint exists, replicating it is a massive hurdle for the 22-year-old because he is playing in his first finals and has been tasked with leading a comeback in one of the league's most hostile buildings.
Plus, history is not helping him much, as no team in NBA history has ever recovered from a 0-2 deficit after dropping the first two games at home. Since the odds are also pretty much against the Spurs, Wade's advice left only one way for Wemby to save the series.
More NBA news: