Spurs reach the NBA Finals, Wembanyama named MVP: “It’s the dream of a lifetime”
From rebuilding to the NBA Finals in just three seasons: the Spurs complete an incredible rise by defeating OKC in Game 7. Unanimous Western Conference Finals MVP Victor Wembanyama leads one of the youngest teams ever to the final stage of the season
The San Antonio Spurs are back where they dreamed of being. With a remarkable 111-103 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7, the Texas franchise punched its ticket to the NBA Finals, closing out one of the most entertaining series of the season.
When Devin Vassell’s dunk with seconds remaining put the final stamp on the game, all the emotion that Victor Wembanyama had been holding in came pouring out.
The French star screamed, cried, embraced his teammates, and celebrated for several minutes in front of the Spurs bench. It was a moment that perfectly captured what this achievement means to a player who, despite his young age, has always aimed for the highest level.
Winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy is the dream of a lifetime. Having a real chance to do it means seeing a dream become reality. It’s hard to put into words what it represents to me. It’s almost the meaning of my life
Victor Wembanyama
With Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, both 22 years old or younger, leading the team in scoring, San Antonio has become the first NBA Finals team ever to feature two offensive leaders that young. According to the numbers, only the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers reached the Finals with a younger average roster age.
Mitch Johnson has no doubt about the main reason behind that growth:
Victor has an incredibly clear vision of what he wants to become as a person and as a player. The level of commitment he puts in every single day to reach that goal is something I’ve never seen before
Mitch Johnson
Rookie Dylan Harper also made his mark. The 20-year-old, selected with the second overall pick less than a year ago, was pivotal at several points throughout the series and is now preparing to live out a special dream: facing the New York Knicks in the Finals.
I’ve always dreamed of playing in an NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden. To do it in my first year is incredible
Dylan Harper
The play that changed Game 7
One of the defining moments came in the fourth quarter.
With Wembanyama saddled with five fouls and temporarily on the bench, it was Luke Kornet who delivered the sequence that shifted the game.
After a Spurs turnover, the big man sprinted back on defense and blocked Isaiah Hartenstein on a fast break, igniting the possession that pushed San Antonio’s lead to eight.
I was so happy for him. That’s the perfect definition of a winning play
Victor Wembanyama
From 22 wins to the NBA Finals
The speed of San Antonio’s rise makes the journey even more impressive.
During Wembanyama’s rookie season, the Spurs finished with a 22-60 record and endured an 18-game losing streak. The following year, they improved to 34 wins, but the French star’s season ended early because of a blood clot in his right shoulder.
The stated goal entering this season was simply to return to the playoffs.
Instead, the Spurs finished with 62 wins, while Wembanyama unanimously won the Defensive Player of the Year Award and finished third in the MVP race.
A series dominated by Wembanyama
Against Oklahoma City, the French phenom delivered one of the best series of his young career.
He opened the Western Conference Finals with a 41-point, 24-rebound masterpiece, dragging the Spurs into overtime in Game 1 thanks to an impossible three-pointer from more than eight meters away.
Across the seven games, he averaged 28.2 points and 11.8 rebounds, while adding 19 blocks, the highest total in a Conference Finals series since Alonzo Mourning in 2005.
Those numbers earned him every available vote for Western Conference Finals MVP.
During this series I discovered new resources within myself. I’ve always had determination, but showing it at this level is different. This is the highest level of basketball in the world
Victor Wembanyama
The numbers tell the story of the Spurs’ dominance over the defending champions. Including the regular season, San Antonio defeated Oklahoma City eight times this year. The rest of the NBA combined managed to beat the Thunder only fourteen times.
Now the final obstacle is called the New York Knicks. For Wembanyama and company, the time has come to find out whether this surprising run can become the first championship of a new era.