Wembanyama's Spurs reach NBA Finals to face Knicks

Victor Wembanyama is within sight of realising a lifelong dream after helping the San Antonio Spurs battle past the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday to set up an NBA finals showdown with the New York Knicks.

Wembanyama’s 22-point haul was the cornerstone of a superb display as San Antonio stunned the reigning NBA champions 111-103 on the road to clinch a 4-3 Western Conference finals series triumph.

The win marked another dazzling milestone on Wembanyama’s rise as the new face of the NBA, just three years after he was chosen by San Antonio with the No 1 pick in the 2023 draft.

The 2.24m-tall (7ft 4 in) Frenchman was hailed as a once-in-a-generation talent when he landed in the NBA, with LeBron James famously saluting the towering youngster as more like an “alien” rather than a “unicorn”.

As the dust settled on Saturday’s momentous win, Wembanyama wasted no time in turning his attention to the looming challenge posed by the Knicks, with game one of the best-of-seven series set for San Antonio on Wednesday.

“Winning the Larry O’Brien [NBA championship trophy] is a childhood dream, and having a real shot at it, having a tangible chance at winning it – it’s a lifetime chance,” Wembanyama told a postgame press conference.