The star Spurs center becomes the first San Antonio player since Dejounte Murray in 2021-2022 to make the All-Star squad.
SAN ANTONIO — Ascendant NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama is heading to next month’s All-Star Game for the first time, having been selected to the Western Conference reserves pool after missing out on a chance to start in just his sophomore season.
He becomes the first San Antonio Spur since Dejounte Murray in 2021-2022 to represent the Silver & Black on an All-Star squad, and the youngest in franchise history to play in the game.
The All-Star reserves, selected by head coaches in the league, were announced Thursday evening ahead of the action on Feb. 16 in San Francisco, where the All-Star Game will unfold as a four-team, three-game tournament for the first time. The games will be broadcast on TNT.
A reserves selection was all but assured for the Spurs’ sophomore center, who is in line to follow up his Rookie of the Year-winning campaign last year with Defensive Player of the Year honors for the 2024-2025 season. Heading into Thursday’s slate, Wembanyama led all players in blocks per game (3.9) and total blocks (153, making him the only player with more than 90). He’s currently
The Spurs franchise anchor is also eighth in the NBA in rebounds per game (10.8), 16th in points (24.4) and top five among centers in most key stat categories while leading the Spurs to a 20-24 record, a 12-win improvement through 44 games over last season to put them in play-in contention.
His absence in the All-Star starters pool – where surefire Hall of Famers Kevin Durant, Lebron James and Nikola Jokic were selected for the frontcourt – sent the Spurs fanbase into a bit of a social media uproar. Wemby himself isn’t losing sleep over the potential snub; he said after the announcement earlier this month he was focused on the games that matter.
Underscoring how he’s wasted no time joining the ranks of the NBA elite, Wembanyama will also play in the 2025 Rising Stars Game on Feb. 14, marking his second straight year getting the spotlight in that event focusing on first and second-year players and G League hoopers. Joining him this year will be productive San Antonio rookie Stephon Castle, who is also set to compete in the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest on Feb. 15.
It might now be prudent for basketball fans to wonder: How many All-Star nods will the 21-year-old Wembanyama accrue when it’s all said and done?
The rest of the Western Conference reserve pool is filled out by Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Jaren Jackson Jr., Alperen Sengun and Jalen Williams. Along with James, Jokic and Durant, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were named starters.
Representing the East are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brunson starting, with Jaylen Brown, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Tyler Herro, Pascal Siakam, Cade Cunningham and Damian Lilliard on the reserves.