San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama has become the third player since 2000 to reach the NBA Finals while leading his team in scoring at 22 years old or younger, joining Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and four-time MVP LeBron James.
The NBA highlighted the milestone on June 3 via social media, noting that only Bryant in 2001 and James in 2007 previously accomplished the feat. Wembanyama, 22, averaged a team-best point total during San Antonio’s postseason run and guided the Spurs past the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder with a Game 7 road victory.
The 22-and-under Finals leaders this century
• Kobe Bryant, 2001: Led the Los Angeles Lakers in scoring en route to the Finals during the franchise’s second title of its early-2000s three-peat.
• LeBron James, 2007: Carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship round and scored his club’s final 25 points in a pivotal Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.
• Victor Wembanyama, 2026: Tops the Spurs in scoring heading into the Finals after eliminating Oklahoma City.
The Spurs have been connected to each of the previous cases. San Antonio fell to Bryant’s Lakers in a 2001 Western Conference Finals sweep and swept James’s Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. Wembanyama now looks to reverse that history for the franchise.
Chris Paul recalls conversation with Kobe Bryant about vetoed trade
Separately, Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul said he spoke with Bryant in 2011 before the NBA blocked a trade that would have sent Paul to the Lakers. The point guard revealed the discussion while reflecting on the nullified deal that would have paired him with the five-time champion in Los Angeles.
The Spurs open the 2026 NBA Finals later this week, with Wembanyama aiming to build on a postseason already etched alongside two of the league’s greatest players.
Source: Lakers Nation
