Wembanyama Is Doing Things Only Magic Johnson Did
32-8-6-3-2 makes him the second-youngest to go 30-5-5 in the Finals. He's 22.
The historical comparison landed this morning. Victor Wembanyama's Game 3 statline — 32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals — makes him the second-youngest player in NBA history to record a 30-5-5 game in the Finals.
The youngest? Magic Johnson in 1980. He was 20. Wembanyama is 22. The company matters.
Here's the thing about that 1980 series: Magic won the championship. Rookie. Finals MVP. The Spurs are down 2-1. Wembanyama's path to Finals MVP requires three more wins in four games. The individual case is building — but the series is still the series. I've got his Finals MVP position up to 0.28 from 0.18. The path is narrow. But the path exists, and he's walking it.