Victor Wembanyama took the floor in Friday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks after dealing with an injury earlier in the week, mainly to reach the 65-game requirement for regular season awards.
He achieved that goal, briefly exited the game, then checked back in and finished with 40 points and 13 rebounds in just 26 minutes.
The San Antonio Spurs star was initially taken out once he reached exactly 20 minutes, which is the minimum needed for the appearance to count toward eligibility.
However, he later returned to action, seemingly making it clear to the team that he wanted to continue playing.
“If I had 65 [games] before, I for sure wouldn’t have played,” Wembanyama said.
This marked Wembanyama’s 64th regular-season game, but his participation in the NBA Cup final, which counts toward eligibility despite not being included in official stats, pushed him to the required threshold.
Wembanyama had missed Wednesday’s game after suffering a left rib contusion during a collision with Paul George in Monday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
He was cleared to return on Friday after getting through pregame warmups without issues.
The standout rookie is widely viewed as the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year and a lock for first-team All-NBA honors.
He is also in the MVP conversation, though a recent ESPN straw poll of 100 media members showed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominating the race for first-place votes.
The Spurs head into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed with a 62-19 record.
Victor Wembanyama Says He Wouldn't Have Played Friday If Not For 65-Game Rule https://t.co/veUufhfzKS
— RealGM (@RealGM) April 11, 2026
