Victor Wembanyama’s first night of the 2026-27 season did not look much like the polished version of himself from a year ago. But Friday’s Spurs-Rockets matchup gives him another chance to reset — and another close-up look at Kevin Durant, the player whose game has shaped much of Wembanyama’s basketball imagination.
Wembanyama gets another Durant test
San Antonio faces Houston on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET on Prime, putting Wembanyama across from Durant in what has become a regular Western Conference and division matchup. Wembanyama has put up 22 points and 10 rebounds per game in contests against Durant-led clubs.
Durant, now 38 and beginning his 20th NBA campaign, has long been Wembanyama’s favorite player. Growing up in France, Wembanyama stayed awake to follow NBA games and saw a familiar template in Durant: extreme height, a thin frame, perimeter comfort and a jumper that can rise over defenders.
That admiration carried into international play. France reached the gold-medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympics, only to lose to Durant and Team USA. Afterward, Wembanyama said he wanted to study Durant and take “one or two” of the veteran’s techniques.
In his fourth NBA season, Wembanyama is expected to be among the leading candidates for the 2026-27 Kia NBA MVP award. The work in front of him is about blending two parts of his game:
- Using his 7-foot-4 size to create efficient chances near the rim.
- Making defenses respect his shooting range from the mid-post and beyond the arc.
- Developing the decisiveness to keep attacking even after early misses.
- Adding a reliable post counter that can force defenders to give him more room outside.
Durant sees progress already. He said Wembanyama’s shot, feel and fundamentals are all advancing, while warning that the young star will spend the rest of his career dealing with physical coverage and multiple defenders.
“He’s headed toward being one of the greatest players we’ve seen,” Durant said. “The key is going through those moments and using them to improve.”
A cold opener, then a needed reset
Wembanyama’s season debut Tuesday was a rough one from the floor. He missed his first 12 attempts and finished 1-for-13 from deep range, an unexpected start after his strongest offensive season.
Last year, Wembanyama averaged 25 points in only 29 minutes per game while shooting 51% overall and 35% from 3-point territory. His improved shooting gave San Antonio another layer: a center who could punish switches inside but also pull up from 18 feet and stretch a defense well beyond that.
After the opener, Wembanyama said he had become hesitant rather than playing with his normal freedom.
“I need to get back to the basketball I enjoy,” Wembanyama said. “I have no reason to hesitate or not be myself. I’m at my best when I’m having fun. I missed shots I normally make, then I stopped going back to them and wasn’t decisive. Maybe I’m thinking too much. I don’t need to add more. I probably need to think less.”
The context matters. The opener came against an Oklahoma City defense with uncommon size in Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Aday Mara, three seven-footers who can complicate every look around the basket and on the perimeter.
Houston has big bodies of its own in Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun, though neither presents the same athletic profile as Oklahoma City’s frontline. The Rockets will still test whether Wembanyama can regain his rhythm quickly and make the kind of shots that turn his height into an impossible matchup.
Durant remains a live blueprint for younger players
Durant’s influence reaches beyond Wembanyama. The league’s unusual overlap of young arrivals and enduring stars means rookies and second-year players can meet the athletes whose posters once hung on their walls — then compete against them a few hours later.
Durant has said those encounters remain surreal to him. He believes younger players respond not only to his scoring, but also to his respect for the game and the way he handles his work. He also jokes that the admiration is proof of one thing: “It means I’m old.”
He is older, but still chasing the next tier of history. Durant is closing in on Kobe Bryant for fourth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, a move he could make by the middle of the season if he stays healthy and scores at his usual rate.
Durant said joining that company would carry major meaning because it reflects both longevity and consistency.
- Stephen Curry: His 3-point shooting changed the sport and helped create a generation of perimeter scorers who grew up trying to replicate his range.
- Kyrie Irving: Young guards study his blend of ballhandling, footwork and finishing, even if copying his control without turnovers is another matter.
- LeBron James: His example includes more than physical gifts; players watch his diet, conditioning and injury-prevention habits as he starts his 24th season.
- James Harden: The step-back jumper has become a standard weapon for creators seeking separation.
- Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić: Their passing vision and ability to raise the level of teammates continue to influence young players internationally and in the NBA.
For Wembanyama, Durant is more than an idol from late-night games in France. He is now a divisional opponent, an active measuring stick and a player who understands the defensive attention awaiting him. Friday offers Wembanyama a quick opportunity to show that the missed shots from opening night will not change the bigger blueprint.
