Rudy Gobert couldn't even stop a 16-year-old Victor Wembanyama.
A viral clip that has been circulating in French basketball circles for years took on new life Thursday night. In footage from 2020, a skinny-but-towering 16-year-old Victor Wembanyama is seen scoring at will against Rudy Gobert during a scrimmage at the Nanterre 92 facility. At the time, Gobert was already a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Yet, Wembanyama was easily getting to the rim, slipping past Gobert's long reach as if the veteran wasn't even there.
Fast forward six years to May 2026. That scrimmage has become a prophecy. The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves are set to meet in the Western Conference Semifinals, and the showdown between these two former mentors is the main event.
Let's set the stage. Gobert, now 33, was once Wembanyama's mentor in France. He has won four Defensive Player of the Year awards, but he just watched his protégé claim his first. Back in his rookie season, Wembanyama confidently told reporters, "Let him win it now, because after that, it's no longer his turn."
He kept that promise. This season, the 22-year-old led the Spurs to 62 wins while averaging 25 points and a league-high 3.1 blocks per game. In April, he became the first player in NBA history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award unanimously, and at 22, he is also the youngest to ever receive the honor.
Now, Gobert has to guard him in a playoff series. The 7-foot-1 Gobert just handled the league's top offensive center in Nikola Jokic and now faces its best all-around center, who has three or four inches on him. Gobert's mobility allows him to track Wembanyama in the halfcourt, but the younger player shifts into a different gear when the pace opens up.
Gobert finished fourth in this year's Defensive Player of the Year voting, missing the top three entirely. Meanwhile, Wembanyama took all 100 first-place votes. There will be some extra—but friendly—tension when they face off.
In two regular-season appearances, Wembanyama showed he is ready for the moment. Now, with the playoffs on the line, the student looks ready to teach his mentor a lesson.