This night, against the Nets, Victor Wembanyama became the first player in history to accumulate more than 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 3-pointers in fewer than 100 games. It was also his 5th game in a row with 4 or more blocks, and it has almost become routine for him. On the other hand, what we did not anticipate was that he would be forced to return to the locker room to go through the “concussion protocol”.
While flying through the 3rd quarter, with 11 points scored, “Wemby” collapsed to the ground during a rebound struggle. The Frenchman holds his face, and he is taken to the locker room. More fear than harm since he will return a few minutes later. At the origin of this little scare, a collision with the back of Jalen Wilson's head.
“Like an uppercut”
“It wasn’t a weird action or anything… It wasn’t a bad move…” tells the Spurs pivot. “He just jumped and I happened to be on top of him and I took all the power of the jump into my chin, like an uppercut. It was a little weird, but I passed the concussion test and I felt good after that, so I was ready to play again.”
At the end, a full match with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 blocks. Proof that this blow to the chin left no trace, he will play the entire last quarter. “I didn’t see anything, but I actually thought he was taking advantage of being on the ground to recover” says his coach Mitch Johnson. “The match was very physical, with changes of pace… I didn't think it would force him to go into the locker room.”
Author of a good second half, Julian Champagnie thanks 'Vic' for showing the way in this 3rd quarter after a failed first half. “We don't rely on a bad half or a bad quarter from Vic because we know he will bounce back. He got going again in the third quarter. He played hard, he made some shots and we fed off his energy. »
