HENDERSON, Nev. — With Chris Paul and A’ja Wilson on the court, French basketball star Victor Wembanyama, the quirky 7-foot-5 center and projected No. 1 in the NBA Draft, put on a show in a 37-point performance Tuesday night at Dollar Loan Center against G League Ignite and Scoot Henderson, the projected No. 2 pick.
Henderson scored 28 points and led his team to a 122-115 win.
At half-time, Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 team, a professional French side, were down 71-52 before their second-half brilliance helped their side take the lead and battle Ignite down the stretch .
“At one point it was just about taking over because our team needed players to go up because we were down. [21 points], I think,” said Wembanyama, who admitted playing longer quarters for the first time (games in Europe are 40 minutes compared to 44 minutes in the NBA and G League) affected his stamina. “Coming back from a such an advance is a difficult task. … There are times when you have to do what you have to do.”
Henderson finished 11 for 21 and led his team to victory with his own display of impressive shooting, driving and dunking, including a 3-point and reverse layup on Wembanyama in the first half.
He said he never thought of the match as a match between himself and Wembanyama, however.
“It’s just playing basketball on a stage,” he said after the game. “That’s what I remembered from that night.”
Tuesday night’s game was the first of two showcases between the teams this week in Henderson, about 20 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. The teams will play again Thursday at noon.
It was Wembanyama’s first game in the United States. He finished 11 for 20 (7 for 11 on 3-pointers) with five blocks — and with a number of notable players and NBA reps on hand to see him up close.
Chelsea Gray and Wilson, the stars of the Las Vegas Aces who have won both a WNBA title and a FIBA World Cup championship in recent weeks, sat on the baseline. Phoenix Suns stars Devin Booker and Paul and free agent DeMarcus Cousins also all had front row seats.
“He’s good,” Gray said of Wembanyama. “Being this big and this tall with guarding skills is good.”
Paul said he came to the game to watch the battle of the top prospects and because of his passion for basketball.
“I’m a huge fan of the game,” Paul said. “All these guys are trying to get into the league.”
NBA teams hoping to get lucky in the May 16 draw were also in the building. Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was one of nearly 200 NBA representatives who received credentials for the game, Ignite public relations director Mara Rudolph said.
Reporters from France and Brazil were also present.
Both Wembanyama and Henderson lived up to the hype.
Wembanyama, who is gifted with a skill set that no player of his size may have ever possessed, started the game playing point guard on one of his team’s first possessions before getting rid of a defender and double pumped on a backboard layup, which dazzled the crowd. After a few big blocks, however, his offense mostly stalled in the face of Ignite pressure.
“He was amazing,” Metropolitans 92 coach Vincent Collet said after the game. “What he can do with his size, his agility, his mobility, not just his ability to shoot the 3, moving really well. He even made some really good passes. I think he [had] a very good game but he will also learn from the first half. He has to fight harder because he knows to expect that kind of aggressive defence.”
After halftime, Wembanyama showed off some of the other moves that had an Eastern Conference NBA scout tell ESPN “we’ve never seen someone like him.” Wembanyama hit several 3-pointers that helped his team get back in the game and take the lead early in the fourth quarter, including a late block on Henderson’s layup attempt.
“Some players come in and they’re special,” Ignite coach Jason Hart said. “It’s just a special talent.”
One thing seemed clear after Tuesday’s game, however, based on conversations with some of the NBA folks who watched the game: Wembanyama could be in his own category for the 2023 NBA Draft.
When asked if he had ever seen someone like Wembanyama, Cousin, the former NBA All-Star, replied, “No, man.”
“These children are becoming increasingly rare,” he added. “They’re growing fast. They’re bigger than ever. … I just wanted to be a fan and see it firsthand.”