Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Credits Hakeem Olajuwon After Historic Playoff Performance Against Timberwolves
On Friday, Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to a 115-108 win in Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wembanyama did it historically, as he posted 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks, to give the Spurs a 2-1 lead in the series.
The NBA recognized his strong performance as he became just the fourth player in playoff history to record 35+ points, 15+ rebounds and 5+ blocks. Wembanyama joined an iconic list of players: Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal. According to the league's post on X, Wembanyama is the only player among the four to shoot 70%.
Wembanyama credited the Houston Rockets legend during his postgame interview. According to him, he learned a lot from Olajuwon and had to use what he learned during their private workout sessions before the start of the 2025-26 season.
"It's good to be [mentioned] along with the big fellas. I had to resort to some things that Hakeem taught me in [the] fourth quarter," Wembanyama said. "Especially that spin fadeaway over Rudy [Gobert]."
Wemby on joining Hakeem on this list:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 9, 2026
"I had to resort to some things that Hakeem taught me in this 4th quarter...especially that spin fadeaway over Rudy" https://t.co/lyEiUrK2eNpic.twitter.com/kaiftxxxnU
Wembanyama and the Spurs have the upper hand heading into Game 4, which will be on Sunday.
Victor Wembanyama Embraces NBA Playoff Pressure
Wembanyama has done a lot in his young NBA career. After his historic performance against the Timberwolves, he told the NBA on Prime crew that he embraces the postseason pressure. He said that he's been waiting and dreaming of being in the big moments since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2023.
"I've really been waiting since I've been in the league to live those moments, those high stakes games," he said. "That's what I love. The feeling I got before games, this excitement or this heat in my heart, it's even stronger. It just gets stronger and stronger as the games go on. I'm built for this. I love this more than anything else."
"I'm built for this. I love this more than anything else."
— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2026
Wemby chats with the @NBAonPrime studio team after a big-time Game 3 performance
Spurs take a 2-1 series lead in the West Semis! https://t.co/8QzOGr20Mypic.twitter.com/qbgH1oErL1
Wembanyama has done a fantastic job leading the Spurs in the playoffs. In the first round against the Portland Trail Blazers, he averaged 21.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks through four games.
In the second round, the two-time All-Star has appeared in three games against Minnesota. During that span, he averaged 23.0 points, 15.0 rebounds and 6.3 blocks. He also had a 12-block performance in Game 1, which set a new playoff record for most blocks in a single game.
Under the bright lights of the postseason, the French star has thrived. The Spurs have benefited from it as they look forward to getting another win on Sunday.
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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 3:30 AM.