165 points, 57 rebounds, 19 blocks! Wembanyama's recent 5-game stats rival Yao Ming: I want MVP and DPOY

On March 15 Beijing time, the Spurs defeated the Hornets 115-102 at home, completing a revenge victory. Wembanyama controlled both ends of the court, making 13 of 24 shots, 5 of 10 from three-point range, and 1 of 2 free throws, amassing 32 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. Over his last five games, Wembanyama has accumulated 165 points, 57 rebounds, and 19 blocks, becoming the first player since Yao Ming in December 2006 to achieve such numbers in any five-game span. After the game, he spoke with NBC in an exclusive interview. Here are the details—

Host: Welcome to the show, the one and only Victor Wembanyama! Thank you so much for joining us.

Wembanyama: It's my pleasure.

Host: In your last game against the Hornets, you had 16 points and 0 blocks, and the team lost. Today, it was pure Wembanyama domination. How have you and the Spurs grown during this period?

Wembanyama: I think we won every game in February, right? That shows we are improving each game, regardless of wins or losses earlier in the season. That Hornets game, personally, might have been my worst defensive performance all year. So today, we had to prove ourselves.

Griffin: If it makes you feel better—your worst defensive game of the year would still be the best defensive performance of my entire career. So you're already really great, don't underestimate yourself. I want to ask about your career progression. You've already earned individual honors, been selected as an All-Star, etc., but what's next? What's your mindset? How will you achieve your goals?

Wembanyama: What's next? It's actually straightforward. We just want to win, win everything. Our only disadvantage is lack of experience, but that could also be an advantage. Because if we don't know something is "impossible," we might still be able to do it. So right now, what's in my mind is to take extreme care of my body. Because I still want to win MVP, and I want to win Defensive Player of the Year. So from now until the end of the season, I'm going all out. Doing rehab seriously, ensuring sleep, maintaining a routine, giving everything for the team.

Nash: You played an excellent game today! I'm curious—with your height, footwork, and touch, you're almost always open on the perimeter and can just rise up and shoot. How do you balance the aggressiveness of attacking the paint with settling your feet and shooting directly?

Wembanyama: It's really hard to balance. I love the ability to do many things. You can look at my career, there are different phases. For example, in my second year I shot more threes, and earlier this season, I had games with zero three-point attempts, where I attacked the basket intensely. I'm just trying different things. Now I'm shooting more threes again, because it's something I can do well. So it's constantly balancing, and also adjusting based on what the opponent is doing.

Host: In today's game, you dunked over Grant Williams and blocked Kobe White's shot—we all were stunned, it was so impressive. I just want to know: Does Wembanyama get amazed by Wembanyama's moves? What were you thinking at that moment?

Wembanyama: What I thought was, this is really fun. I don't really like watching my own highlights, but of course, seeing successful plays, especially when we win, does bring joy. But I think it's better to watch less.