Victor Wembanyama couldn’t hold it in any longer. As the final seconds ticked away in the Spurs’ Game 7 victory over the Thunder, the 22-year-old superstar, who has led the Spurs back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, grabbed his jersey and screamed at the floor with tears streaming down his face.
The Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on the road, eliminating the defending champion and officially announcing themselves as the next powerful team in the NBA.
“It was a childhood dream of mine to win the Larry O’Brien Award,” Wembanyama said. “There’s a real chance, there’s a chance, there’s a real chance to win it and live the dream. … The day we win it, for myself, it’s going to be an amazing day to live the dream. It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
After the final buzzer sounded, Wembanyama spent nearly two minutes screaming, crying and hugging his teammates, a stunning display of emotion that cheered the NBA community.
Victor Wembanyama was in tears after reaching the NBA Finals.
This is the emotion and heart the NBA needs. pic.twitter.com/Q1pg6yZQp8
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 31, 2026
The scary thing for the rest of the league is that this Spurs team is still very young.
The San Antonio Spurs became the first NBA Finals team to have two scorers 22 or younger.
Stephon Castle continues his breakout run in the playoffs, while rookie Dylan Harper performs well in the Western Conference Finals.
“My dream has always been to play in the NBA Finals at the Garden,” Harper said. “I did it my first year.”
Wemby dominated the series from start to finish. He averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 19 blocks in seven games.
His 41-point masterpiece in Game 1 immediately set the tone for the entire series.
“I discovered the resources within me,” Wembanyama said. “Be ruthless. I already knew that, but to do it at this level, I mean, this is the best basketball on the planet that’s being played right now.”
Spurs head coach Mickey Johnson believes Wembanyama’s obsession with greatness is what sets him apart.
“It seemed to me that he had such a vision of who he wanted to be and the player he wanted to be,” Johnson said. “His commitment and investment in this vision is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
READ MORE: Adam Silver says NBA is considering using artificial intelligence for some NBA calls
