Victor Wembanyama left Madison Square Garden with a Game 3 win, a dominant stat line, and a New York Knicks villain label he was not ready to fully claim.
The San Antonio Spurs needed him to change the tone of the NBA Finals after falling behind 2-0. Wembanyama did more than keep the series alive; he gave Knicks fans a new opposing star to direct their frustration toward.
That is why the Trae Young comparison came up after the game. In New York, becoming the target of the Garden is almost its own category of postseason recognition.
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
SportsCenter shared Victor Wembanyama's answer when he was asked if becoming a villain for Knicks fans should be taken as a compliment.
"I guess. I'm nowhere near Trae Young's level, though," Wembanyama said after the game.
Wembanyama's answer showed he understood the history without trying to force himself into it. Young's name still carries a specific meaning at MSG, and Wembanyama was careful not to pretend one Finals win put him in the same category.
Still, the question was fair. Wembanyama had just beaten the Knicks in their building, taken over key stretches, and given the crowd more than enough reason to boo him.
Wembanyama finished Game 3 with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks as the Spurs beat the Knicks 115-111 and cut the Finals series to 2-1.
His villain turn came through impact more than theatrics. He made timely shots, protected the rim, drew frustration from the crowd, and was also involved in a physical moment with Jalen Brunson that Knicks fans believed deserved more attention.
That is different from Young, who became a Knicks villain in 2021 by hitting a Game 1 winner, shushing MSG, eliminating New York, and then taking a bow on the Garden floor. Young embraced the drama with a showman's edge.
Wembanyama is not there yet, and he knows it. But Game 3 proved he can hurt the Knicks in the same building where villains are made, and that is how the comparison started in the first place.
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