Tracy McGrady Sends Strong Message to Victor Wembanyama for OKC Series

Victor Wembanyama’s dominant Game 1 performance immediately put the San Antonio Spurs into the conversation for potential NBA champions, as they took a 1-0 series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

However, that conversation was short-lived, as the defending champs quickly responded, outplaying Wemby and his Spurs teammates to go up 2-1 in the Western Conference Finals.

It almost seemed as if Wemby shrank away from the competition after giving his all in that first game, a double-overtime victory by the Spurs.

With the team back in San Antonio and trying to regain some composure, NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady shared a spot-on message about what the Spurs need from their superstar if they want any chance in the series.

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While speaking on NBC and Peacock’s “NBA on Showtime,” T-Mac called on Wemby to step up in the moment, including positioning himself in the right spot on the court.

“We need him to be a superstar. We need him to be the best player on this floor tonight… For me, offensively, he has to do more … I don’t want to see him most of the game on the perimeter,” McGrady said.

It’s the absolute truth, and anyone who’s watched Wemby’s first game compared to Games 2 and 3 saw a major difference in the young star’s performances. While he still had a double-double in that second game, it felt like he didn’t have the same impact, and the same was absolutely true on Friday night.

After his 24 boards in Game 1, he finished with a mere four rebounds in the third game, a Spurs’ loss in front of the San Antonio fans. That could be due to OKC’s game plan or a shift in the Spurs’ coaching strategy, but one has to wonder why the biggest player on the court would stay away from the paint so much.

He’s a bona fide rim protector capable of not only changing players’ shots but swatting them into the stands. Along with that, his ability to grab rebounds is crucial for his team, and when he’s nowhere near the basket, it’s as if he doesn’t want the physicality that comes with battling for boards.

Unfortunately, as the team’s center and most likely, longtime leader, he needs to embrace that challenge and fight in the paint.

It’s not just Wemby, as various NBA legends have criticized other stars in the NBA Playoffs who seem to disappear when their teams need them most. While the alien-esque Spurs superstar came back down to Earth for two games in the series, it’s time for him to step up and once again show the sports world the power he possesses to take over.

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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 5:46 PM.