Victor Wembanyama watches and reacts as LeBron James talks about his talent.
SAN ANTONIO – Generational talents Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James met on Friday, with the Spurs defeating the undermanned Lakers 129-115, ending an 18-game losing streak.
The 19-year-old already had an epic battle of the greats against Anthony Davis on Wednesday when James was ruled out with a calf injury.
This time Davis sat (hipped) and James took the floor.
Final result: The Spurs starters went to the bench with 1:48 left and received a standing ovation at the Frost Bank Center.
The franchise record crisis is finally ending.
Here are five takeaways from the matchup.
1. Wembanyama starts at center for the fourth game in a row
The team lists the rookie as a forward, and Wembanyama has mentioned that “the best way for me to help Spurs is to not pigeonhole myself.”
However, he has now started four straight games at center field after playing at power forward in his first 19 appearances.
Don't make too much of it. Experimentation rules the day.
Spurs continue to rely on lineups with Wembanyama surrounded by four wide players and Friday's competition was no different in the search for optimal combinations on the pitch.
“I don’t rate him as a 5.” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He brings it to the wing, up top, on the block, in the paint. Offensively, he’s everywhere. If you want to call him a fiver, that’s exactly the person he’s protecting.”
We saw signs of progress with Wembanyama starting in the middle. Over the last four contests, he is averaging 19.8 points with 16.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocks.
The rookie also makes a significant contribution to the club’s defense.
The Spurs rose to 12th in defensive efficiency (114.2 points per 100 possessions) over the last 10 games prior to Friday's contest, thanks in large part to Wembanyama's 8-foot wingspan.
2. The showdown between Wemby and LeBron is uneventful
Wednesday's matchup between Davis and Wembanyama sparked more fireworks than what we saw on Friday, as the big men combined for 67 points and 23 rebounds in the Lakers' 122-119 victory.
But the sellout crowd of 18,354 caught a glimpse late in the second quarter of an eventful sequence featuring the generational superstars who came into the league 20 years apart. James found himself with the ball in the corner against the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama.
No problem.
The 38-year-old drilled a 23-foot stepback to give Los Angeles a 66-60 lead.
LeBron James hits the 3-pointer against Victor Wembanyama
“I’m just trying to get his hands off a little bit because I know his wingspan,” James said. “I tried to create a little more space and shoot a little higher.”
Wembanyama admitted to feeling the collective eyes of the Frost Bank Center on him at that moment.
“It was a very high throw,” he said.
The rookie expected to be overwhelmed against James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP. Once the competitive energy began to flow, the 19-year-old focused solely on what was happening on the floor.
“No I have not [any] Feelings on the pitch,” said Wembanyama.
The 19-year-old said the stars didn't talk after the game.
3. Anthony Davis' advice to Wemby: “Don't stress”
Davis expressed sympathy earlier this week for Wembanyama's status as a generational talent tasked with steering the fortunes of a franchise.
Davis was the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 and entered the league under the weight of great expectations. But the 30-year-old said his experience at the 2012 London Olympics made the transition easier. Davis played alongside James this summer on a U.S. team that also featured veterans Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony.
“There will be ups and downs,” Davis said Tuesday after the Lakers’ loss in Dallas. “But don’t stress about the pressure from everyone else. You have to know what your team wants from you and not think you can turn the franchise around in the first year.”
Davis shouted at James in the visitors' locker room: “What [did] Are you doing this in your rookie year?”
James replied, “To what extent?”
“Playoffs,” Davis said.
James spent this time “in Cancun and having a lot of fun.”
The NBA's all-time leading scorer had made Davis' point clear.
“Even the greatest person to ever wear them didn’t make it in his first year,” Davis said. “So I think you just do it slowly, take your time and every year the game gets better and better.”
4. The Spurs are not turning a blind eye to potential new additions
You've heard it before, but San Antonio lacks depth in the backcourt. Tre Jones is the only traditional point guard on the roster and comes off the bench.
Asked about implementing possible moves before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Popovich replied: “We have what we have and we'll work with that.”
That is not completly correct.
Although the struggling Spurs are doing their best to develop second-year forward Jeremy Sochan into point guard, the team plans to keep an open mind in case an ideal trade scenario occurs.
Any move possible would be created with a long-term time frame in mind rather than the present. Individual development and team concepts remain the focus this season.
“But if there’s a trade that would make sense now and in the long term, of course we’ll look at it,” Popovich said. “[General manager] Brian Wright and his people are probably already doing that.”
5. Wembanyama equals Dwight Howard's mark for double-double
The 19-year-old rookie recorded his seventh consecutive double-double in just three quarters against the Lakers, tying Dwight Howard for the most consecutive double-doubles in NBA history by a teenager.
Wembanyama scored 11 points and 12 rebounds in the first three quarters as San Antonio took a 98-87 lead into the final frame. The rookie finished the game with 13 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
Howard set the record as a 19-year-old in his second season in Orlando, where he posted seven straight double-doubles from November 5-19, the last coming just 19 days before his 20th birthday.
As for Wembanyama, the latest milestone meant little compared to San Antonio winning its first game in 43 days.
“Of course I never want to lose again, but it will happen,” he said. “We just have to enjoy these moments because I'm addicted to winning. This is what I love and what I live for.”
Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can email him here, find his archive here and follow him Twitter.
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