Business

(VIDEO) Will Wemby Surpass Shaq and All-Time Center Greats in Historic 2026 Playoffs?

Published

2 months ago

20 May 2026

SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama posted 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 49 minutes during Game 1 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals on May 18, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game.

The 22-year-old Spurs center joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to achieve 40-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in a conference finals debut. He also became the fourth player in NBA history — alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — to post at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in a single playoff game.

Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game during the 2025-26 regular season while shooting 51.2 percent from the field. He earned Defensive Player of the Year honors as the youngest recipient in league history and led the NBA in blocks for the third straight season.

Through the 2026 playoffs, Wembanyama has posted multiple double-doubles and continued elite production. In earlier rounds he recorded 39 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in a Western Conference Semifinals game, shooting better than 70 percent from the field in that contest.

Shaquille O’Neal has publicly praised Wembanyama’s game. O’Neal called him “the first perfect big man” after a Spurs playoff win, citing his ability to score, defend, shoot and play as a team player.

Wembanyama has surpassed O’Neal for the most games with eight or more blocks by a player under age 23. He has also set early-career benchmarks in defensive production and combined statistical output.

The 7-foot-4 Frenchman, drafted first overall in 2023, has started in multiple All-Star Games and earned Rookie of the Year in 2023-24. His playing style combines perimeter shooting, rim protection and ball-handling skills rarely seen at his size.

San Antonio advanced to the 2026 Western Conference Finals with Wembanyama anchoring the lineup. The Spurs improved dramatically on defense with him on the court, ranking among the league’s top units.

Wembanyama’s statistical milestones include joining O’Neal, Olajuwon and Abdul-Jabbar in rare playoff performances. His Game 1 conference finals showing echoed dominant outings by historical big men while occurring at a younger age.

Through 181 career games entering the 2026 playoffs, Wembanyama averaged 23.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists. His career field-goal percentage stands at 48.4 percent.

The Spurs organization built around Wembanyama with complementary talent, including rookie Dylan Harper. The team returned to deep postseason play for the first time since 2017.

Wembanyama represented France at the 2024 Olympics, winning silver. His international experience contributed to his development ahead of his third NBA season.

At 235 pounds, Wembanyama has continued adding strength while preserving mobility and length. This physical profile differs from traditional centers like O’Neal, who played near 300 pounds in his prime.

League records show Wembanyama’s pace of production in blocks, scoring efficiency and rebounding. He has achieved multiple high-output games combining points, rebounds and blocks.

O’Neal and other analysts have drawn direct comparisons. Discussions focus on Wembanyama’s versatility versus the interior dominance of past greats such as O’Neal, Olajuwon, Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and others.

Wembanyama’s contract runs through at least the 2026-27 season. His presence has increased attention and ticket demand for Spurs games.

Historical centers built legacies over long careers with multiple championships and individual awards. Wembanyama’s early body of work has generated widespread debate about his potential trajectory.

The Spurs face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Wembanyama’s performance in Game 1 helped secure a series lead.

As the 2026 NBA playoffs continue, Wembanyama’s role remains central to San Antonio’s run. His on-court impact and statistical profile sustain ongoing conversations about his place among the league’s elite centers.

Business

Artisan Partners Asset Management: Limited Downside

Published

10 minutes ago

5 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Whale's Insight: A Macro-Driven Market With No Safe Haven, And No End To Volatility

Artisan Partners Asset Management: Limited Downside

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Equity mutual funds delivered up to 8% return last week; international funds led. Check top 10 performers

Published

18 minutes ago

5 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Equity mutual funds delivered up to 8% return last week; international funds led. Check top 10 performers

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Taiwan military resumes ’anti-communist’ classes for graduates, citing Chinese threat

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1 hour ago

5 July 2026

NewsAdmin

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China seeks closer business ties with Europe as Wang meets Wallenberg

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2 hours ago

5 July 2026

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Investors looking for shelter from AI storm are turning to India

Published

2 hours ago

5 July 2026

NewsAdmin

Investors looking for shelter from AI storm are turning to India

After losing out big on the global AI rally, Indian equities are regaining the attention of investors seeking to weather the latest market turbulence.

With the artificial intelligence frenzy roiling benchmark gauges from Asia to the US, the NSE Nifty 50 Index is becoming a safe haven of sorts for global investors. In the first half of the year, it moved 1% or more on just about one-third of the days — less than the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and barely more than the S&P 500 Index.

India’s lack of AI plays has been a hurdle most of the year as investors turned to markets like South Korea and Taiwan that delivered stellar returns. But with concerns mounting over the sustainability of that trade, interest in India is slowly coming back. In June, the Nifty 50 outperformed the MSCI Emerging Markets Index by the most since November, while foreign outflows were the smallest in four months.

“India’s calm comes down to one thing: It sits outside the AI trade,” said Maxence Visseau, chief investment officer of Arkevium Capital in Dubai. His firm is neutral on the market and uses it as a diversifier, he said. “India works as an AI hedge inside the EM complex.”

Indian equities remain some of the world’s worst performers this year, but the tide is starting to turn as the rupee stabilizes after hitting a record low and oil gains that tanked shares of refiners and airlines recede on easing tensions in the Middle East. That’s reduced inflation concerns and brightened prospects for India’s economic growth, according to a government report at the end of June.

At the same time, market players are getting more upbeat about the upcoming earnings season, which Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. kicks off on Thursday.
“The fall in commodity prices has altered the macro outlook for India almost overnight,” said Sandip Sabharwal, founder of research house Asksandipsabharwal.com in Mumbai. “Lower commodity prices, improving capital flows and stable interest rates create an environment where earnings upgrades are likely to exceed downgrades over the coming quarters.”In a note to clients, Morgan Stanley analysts including Ridham Desai wrote last month that India has become a “much larger macro asset class.” The less volatile inflation data in recent years support equity valuations and turn the market into one of defensive growth that can withstand global shocks better than it used to, they said. Over the past decade, the Nifty 50 almost tripled, delivering annual gains of more than 10% on six separate years.

The benchmark index logged 38 sessions with moves of 1% or more in either direction in the first six months of 2026, compared with 59 for MSCI’s emerging-market and Asian gauges and 32 for the S&P 500. South Korea’s Kospi index was off the charts, with 79 days of fluctuations of at least 1% — or two-thirds of the days in 2026.

Meanwhile, the India NSE Volatility Index dropped for a third straight month in June, falling below its one-year average and reaching its lowest level since February on Friday. That’s a far cry from April, when the gauge of option prices was at a one-year high relative to the Cboe Volatility Index, shortly after the Nifty 50 tanked to a low.

Kruti Shah, a quantitative analyst at Equirus Securities, sees a “bullish undertone” in the Nifty 50 and favors call spreads to bet on more gains, adding that the upcoming earnings season may offer some positive surprises.

“India was held back earlier this year by higher energy prices, elevated valuations and limited exposure to the AI trade,” said Ben Powell, chief investment strategist for the Middle East and Asia Pacific at BlackRock Investment Institute. “As those pressures have eased, investors may look beyond AI-heavy markets. That could put India back on investors’ radar as a differentiated opportunity within emerging markets.”