Giannis Antetokounmpo Praises ‘Unbelievable’ Victor Wembanyama After First Clash

The Milwaukee Bucks escaped with a win against the San Antonio Spurs, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama treated NBA fans to a show on Thursday night. 

The two stars battled all night, and Antetokounmpo tipped his hat to the Spurs’ prized rookie during his postgame interview with TNT’s Jared Greenberg. 

“He’s unbelievable. Unbelievable talent. He can score at will, anytime he wants. Plays the right way. Plays to win. It was good to play against him,” said Antetokounmpo after Milwaukee’s 125–121 win.

Wembanyama was under a minutes restriction, but still logged 26 minutes on the floor in the loss. He put on a show, too, pulling out his entire arsenal on offense en route to 27 points, and showcasing his presence on the interior with five blocks and nine rebounds.

WEMBY BEHIND-THE-BACK AND-1 SLAM ???? pic.twitter.com/k3rMuashS2

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 5, 2024

Wemby block ➡️ Wemby triple ???? pic.twitter.com/3ZmKwV2tol

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 5, 2024

Despite his outstanding performance, Milwaukee, led by Antetokounmpo’s 44 points and 14 rebounds, was able to withstand San Antonio’s second-half surge.

It was the first-ever meeting between the two-time MVP and 2023’s No. 1 pick, and the battle certainly didn’t disappoint. Antetokounmpo had nothing but praise for Wembanyama, who turned 20 years old on Thursday, complimenting the rookie on his style of play and building anticipation for future matchups between the two.