Victor Wembanyama Shines in Christmas Day Debut at Madison Square Garden
NEW YORK — Picture this: the iconic Madison Square Garden, a place where legends are made and dreams come alive. On this particular Christmas Day, the arena was buzzing with excitement, and the air was thick with anticipation. The scoreboard lit up with a nostalgic video montage of the New York Knicks’ past defensive prowess, all set to the electrifying beats of DMX’s “Party Up.” But down on the court, a new story was unfolding, one that would be etched into the annals of NBA history.
Enter Victor Wembanyama, the towering 7-foot-4 sensation from France, making his Christmas Day debut. With a standing reach that nearly touches the sky, Wembanyama was a force to be reckoned with. He delivered a jaw-dropping performance, scoring a game-high 42 points, the most by a visitor on Christmas at Madison Square Garden. His stat line was nothing short of spectacular: 18 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 blocks. Yet, despite his heroics, the San Antonio Spurs fell short, losing 117-114 to the New York Knicks, who were powered by Mikal Bridges’ 41-point effort.
After the game, Wembanyama took a moment to reflect on his performance. “I don’t even know really the history of the best Christmas games,” he admitted. “I’m thinking about the game right now and just thinking we were close but relaxed on some attributes at times.”
Wembanyama’s performance placed him in elite company. He became only the third player in NBA history, alongside Wilt Chamberlain (1959 and 1961) and Nikola Jokic (2022), to score 40-plus points with 15-plus rebounds in a Christmas game. His 42-point debut ranks third in NBA history for a player making their Christmas Day debut, trailing only Chamberlain (45) and Tracy McGrady (43).
Even Knicks guard Josh Hart couldn’t help but marvel at Wembanyama’s talent. “Good Lord, man,” Hart exclaimed. “He’s different. The league will be in good hands when all the old guys and elder statesmen like LeBron [James] and [Kevin Durant] are out of the [sport]. His release point is so high, and his ability to hit shots, it opens up everything for them.”
This game was a rare spectacle, marking just the third instance of dueling 40-point performances on Christmas in NBA history. The last time this happened was in 1961, featuring Elgin Baylor against Oscar Robertson and Chamberlain taking on Richie Guerin.
Wembanyama’s recent form has been nothing short of extraordinary. He has strung together four consecutive games with at least four 3-pointers and four blocks, a feat unmatched by any other player. Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson praised Wembanyama’s impact, saying, “He did a good job of imposing his will, leaving his imprint on the game. Strong catches, finishes, and drives to the rim. Obviously, he made some shots, did a good job defensively. I thought we were connected as a team and sometimes that allowed his individual skill set on that end to shine through.”
Despite a slow start offensively, Wembanyama’s defensive prowess was evident from the get-go. He made an immediate impact with a blocked shot just three minutes into the game. Throughout the contest, he limited the Knicks to 3-of-13 shooting as the contesting defender, holding Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to a combined 1-of-9 shooting.
Karl-Anthony Towns acknowledged Wembanyama’s defensive abilities, saying, “He’s utilizing his God-given traits. That’s what makes him a special defensive player, as well as his ability to cover space. He’s athletic to move quick enough to get to the spots. He’s tall enough to alter shots. He’s been blessed by God and utilizing his talent for his family and the Spurs organization.”
Wembanyama found his offensive rhythm in the second quarter, scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including two 3-pointers. By halftime, he had amassed 24 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. This performance marked just the third time in the past 25 years that a player scored at least 20 points with 10 boards before halftime of a Christmas Day game, joining the ranks of Shaquille O’Neal (2000) and Anthony Davis (2015).
Despite Wembanyama’s six 3-pointers, the Spurs couldn’t secure the win. The Knicks’ dominance on the offensive glass, with 17 offensive rebounds, played a significant role. They outscored the Spurs in second-chance points 19-13 and bested them 58-50 in paint scoring.
Reflecting on the game, Wembanyama said, “I don’t think it was a game about momentum. I think it was a game about being dogs. When the clock starts going down — five minutes, three minutes — we let them get some rebounds on us. We let them move us a little too much. This is what it was about. They didn’t win against us because they played better basketball. Not at all. Tonight, just proved we are not ready yet. We are right there. It’s just a [switch] we’ve got to [flip] because I’m sure we’re going to see that it works and we’re going to get addicted to playing this way. It’s high effort to play like that, but also high reward.”
Before every game, the Spurs engage in a quick trivia session featuring various basketball-related topics. On this occasion, Christmas Day scoring was the theme, as point guard Chris Paul revealed. Paul, who finished with seven assists, moved into seventh place on the all-time list for assists on Christmas. “We all try to guess,” Paul said. “I think [McGrady] was on there, Luka [Doncic]. Vic had 42, so now he’s on that list, you know what I mean? We see him day in and day out. So, we’re not surprised by that. For us, the next step is winning those games. That’s all it’s about.”
Originally Written by: Michael C. Wright
