Magic Johnson Tipped His Cap to Victor Wembanyama, Then Reminded Everyone Who’s First
Magic Johnson watched Victor Wembanyama drop 32 points on the Knicks in Game 3 and immediately fired off a post on X that did two things at once. He gave Wemby credit, and he reminded everyone that the all-time-young-NBA-Finals-greatness record still belongs to him.
“I was in awe of Victor Wembanyama’s performance tonight,” Magic posted. “Not only did he score 32 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, he also became the 2nd youngest player to have 30, 5 and 5 in the victory over the Knicks on their home court (behind some kid who played for the Lakers).”
That last part is what makes it perfect Magic. The casual reference to “some kid who played for the Lakers” is him talking about himself. The youngest player to ever post 30, 5, and 5 in an NBA Finals game was a 20-year-old rookie point guard named Earvin Johnson, who dropped 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals against Philadelphia. The Lakers won. He won Finals MVP. He immediately became a basketball legend.
So yes, Magic was complimenting Wemby. He was also putting his own resume right next to the praise, in the most polite and Hall-of-Fame way possible. It is the kind of move only Magic can pull off without anyone calling it self-promotion.
The bigger basketball story is what Wembanyama actually did in that game. The 22-year-old Spurs center carried San Antonio in a virtual must-win game on the road in front of one of the loudest crowds in the league. He scored 32 points on efficient shooting. He added six assists. He had three blocks. He kept the Spurs in the game through Knicks runs that would have ended the series for almost any other contender.
And Magic is right. The stat line places Wemby in historic company. Only one other player in NBA Finals history has put up 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists at age 22 or younger. That player is sitting in a studio somewhere tonight reminding the internet that he did it at age 20.
The Spurs needed every bit of Wembanyama’s performance. Down 2-0 in the series before tipoff, they had every reason to feel cooked. New York had home court, momentum, and Mike Brown’s coaching staff on a roll. San Antonio’s response was to put the ball in Wemby’s hands and let him cook.
The series now sits at 2-1 Knicks heading into Game 4 Wednesday night, also at MSG. The Spurs can tie it up and steal home court advantage back. The Knicks can take a commanding lead. Wembanyama is going to need another performance like Game 3, and based on what the Lakers’ legend said, the rest of the league is finally starting to grade him on a Magic-level scale.
That is high company. Wemby has earned it. And Magic, true to form, is happy to share the spotlight while also making sure his own statue stays bolted in place.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
