Victor Wembanyama’s massive season debut on Wednesday has NBA fans buzzing. That buzz has already put him among the favorites to win NBA MVP after just one game.
The French prodigy has showcased his potential in his first two years in the league, but he hadn’t done anything like what he did against Dallas. Few in NBA history have. Wembanyama went off for 40 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks and no turnovers. He joins a list consisting of Shaquille O’Neal, Moses Malone and Anthony Davis to score at least 40 points with at least 15 rebounds while committing no turnovers. That’s Hall of Fame company.
Given Wembanyama’s pedigree and hype when he was drafted (and that he’s 7 feet 4 and can dribble and shoot on the perimeter), it’s not surprising to see fans drool over his potential. A huge night on a national stage to start the season, combined with the Wemby hype machine, put the 21-year-old squarely into the MVP race, at least in the betting odds.
Wembanyama is now second on BetMGM behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the odds to win the award. The favorite SGA is +275 to win MVP for the second year in a row, but Wemby is right there at +300, jumping three-time winner Nikola Jokić, who moved down to +350. As ridiculous as Wemby’s performance was on Wednesday, it’s also ridiculous that it just took one game to pull Wemby ahead of Jokić, who has built his reputation as arguably the best player in the league for several years.
Is that hype justified? Well, the plays he was making did look that absurd. This block of Dereck Lively II, followed by a 3-pointer, an and-1 no less, is a combination of traits that just don’t exist. Shaq could destroy people inside, and Kevin Durant is a 7-footer who plays like a shooting guard, but both in the same body? Yikes. Keep in mind, Lively is 7-1, and Wemby makes him look like an undersized child going against a grown man.
EMPHATIC BLOCK.
ISO STEPBACK 4-POINT PLAY.
10-0 WEMBY RUN… HE’S GOT 31! pic.twitter.com/VP4HwuDLNn
— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2025
The big questions about Wemby for MVP are whether he can stay healthy to play enough games and if the Spurs can win enough to have an MVP on the roster. The French star played just 46 games last season. If Wemby puts up numbers anywhere near these all year, the Spurs winning may not matter, but it’s fair to wonder how many voters will hold back if San Antonio wins, say, 45 games. Their win total line is currently 45.5.
Before the season started, SGA and Jokić were tied in the MVP odds at +275 with Luka Dončić at +375. Wembanyama was only fourth, but was a decent distance behind at +1100. From +1100 to +300 in one game means Wemby essentially tripled the chances of winning MVP after just one game.
Is the Wemby hype real, and is he already a legitimate MVP contender? Tyler Batiste from the NBA team shared his thoughts:
“There were noticeable ‘M-V-P!’ chants at American Airlines Center during Wednesday’s San Antonio Spurs-Dallas Mavericks game. But they weren’t for anyone on the home team. Victor Wembanyama put on a show in his first regular-season game in eight months, and with his 40-point, 15-rebound performance, those chants were well-deserved. His blocked shots, two-handed slams and stepback 3s had the entire arena in awe at points. By the end, people were wondering whether such ridiculousness will just be status quo for the Spurs and the NBA.
“In our preseason bold predictions, Spurs beat writer Jared Weiss forecasted that Wemby would finish in the top three in MVP voting. After that game against the Mavs, maybe that’s not so bold after all.”
