By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
The San Antonio Spurs and their French superstar Victor Wembanyama have started the 2025/26 season on a high note, improving to 4–0 with a 121–103 win over the Toronto Raptors.
The 21-year-old had another outstanding performance with 24 points and 15 rebounds, and once again added to his remarkable defensive streak with another block — his 19th of the season.
Of course, he leads the league in blocked shots and already has more than most teams. But what’s even more impressive is that his block against the Raptors marked his 89th consecutive game with at least one rejection.
With that, Wemby moved up to fourth on the all-time list, surpassing Patrick Ewing’s streak of 88 games. He now trails Mark Eaton (94), Dikembe Mutombo (116), and Ewing’s record of 145 consecutive games with a block.
After the win over Toronto, Wembanyama was asked whether he actively hunts for blocks during games.
“I don’t think so, because there are moments when I’m hunting blocks even when I already have six,” he said with a smile. “It’s my job.”
Once again, the opponents were often reluctant to attack the rim when Wembanyama was nearby, sometimes even throwing the ball out of bounds instead of challenging him. That’s why the young star believes his defensive impact goes well beyond blocks.
“Oh yeah, for sure. I think I had a solid defensive game — with or without blocks,” he explained. “There are many more ways to impact the game. It’s gonna happen more and more that guys turn down shots.”
When a reporter suggested it would be interesting to track a stat for “drives derailed” — the number of times opponents decide not to challenge him — Wembanyama agreed.
“Yeah, it’s a great idea. We do a lot of video work with Sean Sweeney to analyze situations,” he said. “Many times, even before we get to the shot — to actually having to block it — there’s stuff we can do beforehand.”