Wembanyama matches Wilt Chamberlain in historic NBA feat

Victor Wembanyama did something only Wilt Chamberlain has done before.

The San Antonio Spurs center put up 52 points, 24 rebounds, and 8 blocks in a 112-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

That stat line has not been seen in the NBA since Chamberlain did it in 1961.

Wembanyama shot 16-of-28 from the field and 19-of-23 from the free-throw line.

He added two assists and two steals with just one turnover.

The game-winning free throw came with seconds left to give the Spurs the lead.

The victory pushed San Antonio to a 6-2 record after starting the season 0-2.

The Spurs have now won six straight games.

Wembanyama's 52 points vaulted his season average to 29 points per game, which ranks fourth in the NBA entering Thursday.

In Yahoo High Score fantasy basketball, he scored 110 points.

That ties the most in that format ever, matching Bam Adebayo's 83-point game from last season against the Wizards.

Teammate Dylan Harper spoke after the game about what he saw.

"He basically Wilt," Harper said.

The comparison to Chamberlain was immediate across the league.

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley were both reportedly at a loss for words watching the performance.

One broadcaster called it "just ridiculous."

The performance came against a Mavericks team that was missing key personnel.

Dallas was without its defensive anchor, and Wembanyama exploited that absence all night.

His 24 rebounds and 8 blocks showed dominance on both ends of the floor.

But the most striking part of the performance was how he got those blocks.

Wembanyama has developed a technique of hanging on an opponent's hip and waiting for them to rise for their shot before he ever jumps.

This ensures the shooter's attempt is not altered by a simultaneous jump.

Because of his length, he can easily match them at the point of release.

Most of his eight blocks on Wednesday came from this technique.

It is a skill that makes his defense even more unfair than his raw physical tools already did.

Wembanyama also went viral for getting three blocks in 13 seconds against the Mavericks.

That sequence showed his ability to impact multiple possessions in a single defensive stand.

The night was part of a larger historic evening across the NBA.

Nikola Jokic recorded a 30-point triple-double, his 90th in just three quarters, setting an all-time record.

Luka Doncic poured in another 40-point outing to surpass Michael Jordan for the best scoring start to a season.

Klay Thompson turned back the clock with 30 points, eight threes and a game-winner.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again went over 40 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Yet none of them managed to steal the night from Wembanyama.

The matchup also featured Cooper Flagg, the 19-year-old star many project to challenge Wembanyama as the league's future face.

Flagg ended the night with 19 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and just one turnover.

But he shot a rough 7-of-19 from the field and 0-of-3 from deep after starting the game 1-11.