Victor Wembanyama may have sent SGA NBA’s coldest MVP message yet originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Hakeem Olajuwon was very angry on May 24, 1995. He watched David Robinson get the NBA Most Valuable Player award. Hakeem thought he was the best player, not David. So, Hakeem went on the basketball court to prove it.
He played a magic game for the Houston Rockets. He scored 41 points. He grabbed 16 rebounds. He passed for 4 assists. He got 3 steals and blocked 2 shots. It was a giant win. He showed the whole world who the real king was.
Almost 31 years later, history repeated itself. Victor Wembanyama, the young star everyone calls Wemby, felt the exact same way. He wanted the MVP trophy, too.
But the big prize went to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, aka SGA. Wemby watched SGA celebrate the big award. It made Wemby want to play harder than ever before.
Wemby went out and did something amazing for the San Antonio Spurs. He played a game that looked just like Hakeem’s old game.
FS1 co-host Nick Wright could stay out of this and shared his thoughts on social media. “On May 24, 1995, Hakeem watched David Robinson win the MVP that he thought he deserved, and responded with a 41-16-4-3-2 in a win,” he said. “Nearly 31 years later to the day, Wemby watched SGA win the MVP that he campaigned for, and responded with a 41-24-3-1-3. Total brilliance.”
On May 24, 1995, Hakeem watched David Robinson win the MVP that he thought he deserved, and responded with a 41-16-4-3-2 in a win.
Nearly 31 years later to the day, Wemby watched SGA win the MVP that he campaigned for, and responded with a 41-24-3-1-3.
Total brilliance.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 19, 2026
In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Wembanyama delivered an absolute masterpiece to snap the defending champion Thunder‘s nine-game postseason winning streak.
Beyond the staggering rebound, assist, block, and steal totals mentioned, the 7-foot-4 phenom also poured in 41 points while playing a career-high 49 minutes.
He came up incredibly clutch down the stretch, knocking down a game-tying 27-foot three-pointer with late ticks on the clock to force the second overtime period.
Basketball fans could not believe their eyes as it was pure magic and total brilliance. Both great big men used their sad feelings to play their best. They turned their anger into points and wins.
Today, sports fans and analysts like Nick Wright are calling Wemby’s game a modern masterpiece. It proves that history always finds a way back into the game of basketball.
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