Wembanyama Climbing the Block Charts: Its My Job to Deter Opponents

The San Antonio Spurs, along with their French phenom Victor Wembanyama, have launched the 2025/26 season on a positive note, improving their record to 4–0 following a commanding 121–103 victory against the Toronto Raptors.

The 21-year-old showcased yet another impressive performance, contributing 24 points and 15 rebounds, while also bolstering his remarkable defensive prowess with a block, bringing his season total to 19.

He stands at the top of the league in blocked shots, having amassed more than many entire teams. More audacious still is that his rejection against the Raptors extended his streak to 89 consecutive games with a block.

This achievement elevates Wembanyama to fourth place on the all-time list, eclipsing Patrick Ewing’s previous record of 88 games. He now chases Mark Eaton (94), Dikembe Mutombo (116), and Ewing’s extraordinary 145-game streak.

Following the victory over Toronto, Wembanyama was inquired about whether he seeks out blocks during gameplay.

“I wouldn’t say so, because sometimes I find myself pursuing blocks even after I’ve already achieved six,” he responded with a grin. “It’s part of my role.”

Consistently, opponents seemed hesitant to attack the rim when Wembanyama was in the vicinity, occasionally opting to throw the ball out of bounds rather than confront him. The young sensation believes his defensive influence extends well beyond just blocks.

“Oh, absolutely. I feel I had a strong defensive presence — with or without those blocks,” he noted. “There are plenty of other ways to make an impact on the game. Players are increasingly likely to cancel drives to the basket.”

When a journalist proposed the idea of tracking a statistic for “drives avoided” — measuring how often opponents bypass the chance to challenge him — Wembanyama found the suggestion intriguing.

“Definitely, that’s an excellent concept. We do extensive video analysis with Sean Sweeney to examine these situations,” he remarked. “Many times, even before it comes to an actual shot — even before needing to block it — there are elements we can assess in advance.”