Victor Wembanyama and Kevin Durant shared mutual admiration following the San Antonio Spurs’ triumph over the Phoenix Suns.

Wembanyama has rapidly emerged as a star for the San Antonio Spurs, playing a crucial role in their remarkable comeback from a 20-point deficit to defeat the Phoenix Suns 115-114. He contributed 18 points, eight assists, and four blocks in the game.

One of the notable moments of the match was Wembanyama facing his idol, Kevin Durant, who delivered an impressive performance with 26 points and seven assists. However, Durant experienced a critical steal by Keldon Johnson with less than two seconds left, sealing the victory for the Spurs.

The Suns, without Devin Booker for the third consecutive game due to a foot issue, suffered their second loss of the season, bringing their record to 2-2, the same as the San Antonio Spurs.

Following the game, Durant acknowledged Wembanyama’s potential with a remarkable one-on-one move that resulted in a basket at the end of the first period, during which the Suns held a nine-point lead. In the final minutes, the Spurs managed to reduce the Suns’ lead to three points at 112-109 with 1.30 remaining on the clock. Durant briefly extended the Suns’ lead by five points, but the tide turned swiftly.

With the score at 115-114 and only one second left, the Suns entrusted Durant with the crucial shot, which ultimately grazed the rim, securing the victory for the Spurs.

Wembanyama, who had previously expressed his admiration for Durant, acknowledged the vast gap in his own mastery of the game compared to the 13-time All-Star. He emphasized the need to be more patient and adopt Durant’s pacing and positioning on the court.

“I learned that I’m far from mastering the game as much as him, because I tried to do some stuff like him but I think I’m not maybe patient enough,” Wembanyama said, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “I think I want to go too fast, but he goes to his own pace and goes to his spots. I think I have to, not copy that, but get inspired by that.”

“He’s special, you know?” the Frenchman said in the presser. “He’s a problem. His teammates look for him and make him a problem the way yhey set up plays. He’s one of the toughest players to guard in the league. I haven’t seen the whole of him or of the other players of the league, but I think he’s up there,” he added. 

Durant, in response, praised Wembanyama’s potential, predicting that he would be a force in the league for years to come as he gains more experience.

“He’s gonna be a force in this league for a long time,” Durant said. “Once he continues to get experience under his belt, he’s just gonna get even better.”