Victor Wembanyama’s 10 Must-See Moments From the 2025-26 Regular Season
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San Antonio, TX — April 17, 2026. In advance of the San Antonio Spurs’ first playoff series since 2017, ESPN compiled the 10 regular-season plays that best defined Victor Wembanyama’s third NBA campaign. The 7-foot-4 forward, who ranks second only to LeBron James in league social-media views this year (2.43 billion), delivered a steady stream of highlights while helping San Antonio clinch its first postseason berth since 2019.
The Plays, Listed Chronologically
1. “Area 51” Reverse Alley-Oop — Oct. 22 at Dallas
With 8:28 left in the second quarter of opening night, rookie guard Stephon Castle lobbed from just past midcourt. Wembanyama sealed Dwight Powell, sprinted to the rim and finished a two-handed reverse dunk, forcing a Mavericks timeout and igniting a shoulder-bump celebration with Castle.
2. Reverse And-1 Dunk on Anthony Davis — Oct. 22 at Dallas
Later in the same game, the French star pump-faked P.J. Washington, drove baseline and hammered a reverse slam over Davis. He sank the free throw for a 50-48 Spurs lead and finished the night with 40 points and 15 rebounds.
3. Four-Point Play vs. Dereck Lively II — Oct. 22 at Dallas
Still on opening night, Wembanyama crossed over Lively, stepped back for a three, drew contact on the landing and completed the four-point sequence while motioning that he was “cooking.”
4. 360-Degree Layup — Oct. 27 vs. Toronto
Four minutes into Game 3, he took a pass from Harrison Barnes, split Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl, spun 360 degrees in mid-air and banked in a layup. San Antonio’s 121-103 win pushed the club to 4-0, matching its best start ever.
5. Self Alley-Oop off the Glass — Nov. 14 vs. Golden State
After beating Draymond Green off the dribble and freezing Moses Moody with a pump fake, Wembanyama tossed the ball off the backboard and dunked it two-handed with 10:21 left in the third quarter of an NBA Cup contest.
6. Poster And-1 Over Kyle Filipowski — Dec. 27 vs. Utah
Lauri Markkanen bit on a pump fake beyond the arc, allowing Wembanyama two dribbles to the rim. He crushed a right-handed dunk through contact from Filipowski, drawing a foul with 8:49 remaining.
7. “Kung-Fu” Pre-Game Kick — Jan. 6 at Memphis
During warm-ups, four basketballs were stuck in the net. Drawing on an offseason spent training at a Shaolin temple, Wembanyama leapt and dislodged one ball with a high kick, joking afterward that he could “beat” anyone who claimed similar flexibility.
8. Clockwise Windmill Dunk — Feb. 21 vs. Sacramento
Catching a swing pass from Barnes, the forward took one dribble and unfurled a two-handed clockwise windmill. Kings defenders, including DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, watched in disbelief.
9. No-Look Block on Tari Eason — March 8 vs. Houston
Trailing transition ball-handler Eason while guarding Alperen Şengün, Wembanyama baited the drive, then swatted Eason’s layup into the crowd. The rejection highlighted his league-best 197 blocks for the season.
10. First Career Buzzer Beater — March 19 vs. Phoenix
With San Antonio down 100-99, Wembanyama dribbled nearly 10 seconds off the clock, stepped right and drilled a 17-foot fadeaway over Oso Ighodaro with 1.1 seconds left. The shot sealed a playoff spot and marked his first go-ahead field goal in the final five seconds of regulation or overtime.
Inside the Locker Room
Asked to pick his favorite highlight, Wembanyama pointed to the crossover-and-one three over Lively, while head coach Mitch Johnson praised sequences that began with the 22-year-old in a defensive stance and ended in transition assists. Teammates such as Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson expressed awe throughout the season, and even opponents’ family members weighed in — notably Tari Eason’s mother, whose social-media reaction to her son’s rejected layup went viral.
San Antonio opens the postseason Sunday at Frost Bank Center against the Portland Trail Blazers, with Wembanyama poised to add new entries to an already crowded highlight reel.
Source: ESPN
