Wembanyama's historic night draws "basically Wilt" comparison from Harper

Victor Wembanyama's massive night shows the 'ideal' version of the San Antonio Spurs star.

On Wednesday night, the 7-foot-4 center from France delivered a performance that drew comparisons to one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Wembanyama scored 52 points and grabbed 24 rebounds, both career highs, along with eight blocks.

He led the Spurs to a 112-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at home.

The game was decided in the final seconds, with Wembanyama making a free throw with 24 seconds left for the final margin.

According to Fox News, Wembanyama is the first player to reach 50 points and 20 rebounds in a one-point win since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964.

He is just the ninth player in NBA history with a 50-20 performance, and the first since Luka Doncic in 2022.

He is also just the third player to do it with five blocks, joining Chamberlain and Bob McAdoo.

Wembanyama had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in the first half alone.

According to the NBA's play-by-play era, which began in 1996-97, he became the first player with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a half.

The performance drew immediate reaction from around the league.

Dylan Harper, a top NBA prospect, backed the historic comparison after the game.

"He basically Wilt," Harper said, according to multiple reports.

The comparison to Wilt Chamberlain carries significant weight in basketball circles.

Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a single game and averaged 50.4 points per game for an entire season.

Wembanyama's performance also overwhelmed rookie Cooper Flagg, who was on the opposing side.

Flagg, considered one of the top young talents in the league, experienced what it means to face a player of Wembanyama's caliber.

The Spurs have now won six straight games.

San Antonio has not lost since dropping the season's first two games to Oklahoma City and Houston.

Wembanyama has averaged 32.5 points during the winning streak.

Remarkably, he has been playing while sick with a virus.

"I haven't been feeling great lately," Wembanyama said after the game.

"I've been sick for a while, and today I felt like I got my legs back."

"So it should be more like this, more often," he added.

Despite the historic numbers, Wembanyama believes he can still improve.

"I mean, my shots weren't falling tonight and that forces me into a style of play that is exhausting," he said.

"I can do it. I mean the proof is here. I can do it, but I can be much better if my shots fall."

"I know it's just a matter of time," he added.

Wembanyama was 16 for 28 from the field, including seven dunks.

However, he was only 1 for 8 on 3-pointers.

His eight blocks came against a Mavericks team that features Kyrie Irving.

This season, Wembanyama is averaging 29.0 points, 12.4 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game.

All three numbers are career highs.

The performance also drew reactions from NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.

According to Yahoo Sports, both were left searching for words after Wembanyama's historic night.

O'Neal reportedly made a Kobe Bryant claim in connection with the performance.

Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor broke down the game in detail.

O'Connor noted that 16 of Wembanyama's 27 shots came at the rim.

He described the performance as showing the 'ideal' version of the Spurs star.

The game also featured a notable moment between Wembanyama and Irving.

According to one report, Wembanyama reportedly whispered "Free Palestine" to Irving after the game.

This report has not been confirmed by other sources.