SAN ANTONIO – In the midst of declining NBA viewership across recent weeks, Victor Wembanyama has emerged as a key driver of increased international interest, particularly in France, according to the NBA.
Following his electrifying 50-point performance, the Spurs’ star has captured the attention of fans globally. Over his last three games, Wembanyama has averaged an impressive 36 points, 12 rebounds, 4.3 blocks, and 6.7 made threes per game — record-setting stats for a second-year player. Not only is Wembanyama the youngest player ever to make six or more threes while also blocking multiple shots in three consecutive games, but he’s also joined the exclusive list of players scoring 50 points before age 21, alongside Brandon Jennings, LeBron James, and Devin Booker.
Prior to his recent streak, Wembanyama was the subject of international attention because he had uncharacteristically begun to shoot an unusually high number of three-point shots, oftentimes from well beyond the arc with a lot of time remaining on the shot clock.
During a recent nationally broadcast segment on Sirius XM Radio with Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson, Wembanyama had come under fire for his performances.
“That was never the case when Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili played down there and won titles,” said former NBA player turned media analyst Eddie Johnson. “You’ve got a 6’4” guy guarding you, just go post his a** up.”
In addition, Tim Bontemps of ESPN wrote an article quoting anonymous NBA scout saying that Victor Wembanyama is a force defensively but looked lost offensively.
The adjustments made to Victor’s offensive weaponry have now solidified his potential and obviously injected new excitement into a season that had been struggling to capture attention in U.S. television ratings.
With NBA viewership taking a dip domestically, Wembanyama’s impact abroad underscores his potential to reshape the league’s global reach and viewership trajectory, offering the NBA a new avenue for growth just as the Spurs rally behind their star’s emerging strategy.
Wembanyama and the Spurs will be featured on two nationally televised NBA games back-to-back this weekend. The first match will take place on Friday, November 15 at 6:30 PM CST at the Frost Bank Center against the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the NBA Cup tournament on ESPN. The following day on Saturday November 16, the Spurs will face the defending Western Conference Champion Mavericks in Dallas and that game will be broadcast on NBA TV.
