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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Tyler Lauletta

Victor Wembanyama Played the Game of His Life and Celebrated by Becoming a Meme

Victor Wembanyama Wemby Spurs Thunder

Victor Wembanyama had the game of his life on Monday, putting up 41 points and 24 rebounds against the Thunder to lead his Spurs to a Game 1 road win in the Western Conference finals.

Fueled by a bit of lingering spite after watching Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander be named MVP for the second straight season, Wemby let his play do the talking with an utterly dominant showing on both ends of the court, including an incredibly clutch three that kept San Antonio alive so they could eventually take the win in double overtime.

He also became a bit of a meme in the process. At one point during his heroic night, Wembanyama went to celebrate with his teammates and struck a pose.

Across the internet, fans quickly decided to use the image to celebrate their own small triumphs.

While some fans accused Wemby of “aura farming,” it seems like those accusations are flying around basically anyone who is proud of anything these days. And if you can’t aura farm after putting up 41 and 24, then I don’t know when you can.

Wembanyama and the Spurs still have a long way to go. They need to win three more games against the reigning champions to reach the NBA Finals, and then have to win four games there to lift the Larry O’Brien. Wemby’s pose has the potential to become either legendary or a stark reminder that winning the battle is not winning the war.

For now, the posture serves as a contribution to Wembanyama’s portfolio of memes. Wemby is already well on his way to becoming the best player in the NBA, but he has quite a way to go before he catches LeBron James in terms of contributions to internet culture.

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