Wembanyama matches Wilt Chamberlain's legendary feat

Victor Wembanyama did something only Wilt Chamberlain has done before.

On Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs center put up 52 points, 24 rebounds, and 8 blocks against the Dallas Mavericks.

That stat line — 52 points, 24 rebounds, 8 blocks — had not been produced by any NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1961.

The game ended 112-111 in favor of the Spurs.

Wembanyama hit the game-winning free throw with seconds left.

He finished 16-of-28 from the field and 19-of-23 from the free-throw line.

He also added two assists and two steals.

He committed just one turnover.

His three-point shooting was off — he went 1-of-8 from deep — but in every other facet of the game, he dominated.

The performance vaulted his season scoring average to 29 points per game.

That now ranks fourth in the NBA entering play Thursday.

The Spurs have now won six straight games after dropping their first two contests of the season.

Wembanyama's teammate Dylan Harper summed it up bluntly after the win.

"He basically Wilt," Harper said.

Harper also chipped in 21 points and five rebounds on 9-of-15 shooting.

The comparison to Chamberlain is not just about raw numbers.

Wembanyama has developed a specific defensive technique that makes his shot-blocking especially effective.

He hangs on an opponent's hip and waits for them to rise for their shot before he ever jumps.

This ensures the shooter's attempt is not altered, as it might be if they jumped at the same time.

Wembanyama knows he can easily match them at the point of release because of his length.

This technique led to a majority of his blocks on Wednesday.

In one viral sequence, he got three blocks in 13 seconds.

The fantasy basketball numbers were just as staggering.

Wembanyama scored 110 points in Yahoo High Score fantasy basketball.

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

In points leagues, he put up 112.8 points.

The night was filled with other historic performances 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 Mavericks star whom many project to challenge Wembanyama one day 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.

Wembanyama blocked Flagg twice and scored an and-1 right over him in crucial moments.

It was a clear message about the experience gap between the two young stars.

Wembanyama's 52-point game was the first stat line of its kind in the NBA since Bob McAdoo in 1974.

But the comparison that stuck was to Chamberlain.

Even Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley were reportedly left speechless by the performance.

Yahoo Sports reported that the two Hall of Famers were "loss for words" by what they called a "sick" performance.

The Sporting News also covered their reaction.