Mitch Johnson’s neck veins bulged as he delivered a timeout speech with antithetical tone and messaging.
“Be disciplined to be disciplined,” the coach yelled as his San Antonio Spurs were up by 25 points over the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter of their regular-season opener. “Like and embrace the boring. The mundane.”
Playing pedestrian basketball isn’t a hard ask for a team grounded the way the Spurs are. Under Johnson, it’s as much a requirement as it is a byproduct of Gregg Popovich’s looming influence. But Wednesday night felt different.
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For the third straight season, San Antonio began its Victor Wembanyama-led campaign by facing the Mavericks. The first two resulted in losses.
Wembanyama was determined to change the outcome of the third.
“We needed to make a statement in our locker room,” the Frenchman said. “I needed to make a statement for my teammates.”
Oct 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates with forward Julian Champagnie (30), guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Wembanyama, in his first regular-season action since he was sidelined with deep vein thrombosis in February, played like a man possessed.
In 30 minutes, the 7-foot-4 center tallied 40 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks while recording zero turnovers. The center used his size to finish plays at the rim from beyond the restricted arc, forced ill-advised defenders into the air and made use of his offseason andragogy.
He became the first Spur since Tim Duncan to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a season opener and overtook George Gervin’s 39 points to begin the 1977-78 season as the most in franchise history.
After an eight-month hiatus, an assertive return from Wembanyama seemed inevitable. Yet his teammates were the only ones with words for the moment.
“I think he’s the best player in the league,” Stephon Castle said. “I expect that from him. They have great defenders on the team, but better ‘O’ beats good ‘D.’
“We’ve been seeing it for months now,” Dylan Harper added.
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Past iterations of Wembanyama’s game have proven his ability to turn simple into spectacular. And perhaps, to some extent, backward alley-oop finishes are simple for someone of his stature. That’s what Johnson savors most.
“He does so many things that look unique,” Johnson said, “(but) the amount of fundamentally sound plays he made tonight was really, really impressive.”
Wembanyama is better at recognizing patterns on the court. He has more knowledge of the game. If he knew when he was 19 what he does now, he would have played with the same aggression he showed against the Mavericks Wednesday night. The reality is, he couldn’t have.
“I’m having more fun now that I’m not struggling to move,” Wembanyama admitted. “I felt like I was in my place.”
The 21-year-old hopes that will continue for the rest of Year 3.
“Some things take time” he prefaced, “(but) I’m able to do it now. The proof is there. So there’s no reason to not do it.”
Oct 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks past Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the second half at American Airlines Center. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Spurs know that Wembanyama would dunk every possession if he could. It’s “the easy narrative,” as Johnson coined it. What has set him apart is how often he chooses something smarter — more fitting to the situation.
“We’ve talked about it since he’s joined the organization,” Johnson said. “Growing with him in terms of how to maximize (his) creativity, but also understanding what the game is calling for.
“You’re seeing a young man becoming a man.”
As a rookie, Wembanyama was still learning to play. The players around him were learning his tendencies and how best to complement him, and the Spurs’ offense went stagnant as a result. Now two seasons later, his teammates have a better handle on playing alongside him.
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“Watch(ing) film with the guy you’re going to do a lot of pick-and-rolls with or have a lot of transition buckets with definitely helps,” Castle said. “(Knowing) where he likes the ball … we’ve been working on that all summer.”
As for finding him on the floor?
“He’s the big, tall one,” Castle said.
Oct 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates with San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Wembanyama likened the Spurs’ quest for Western Conference relevance to building a mansion. He laid the mortar when he arrived. Since then, the team has been building upward.
It had a productive day at the construction site in Dallas.
“It felt like we did everything we needed to,” Wembanyama said. “I’m comfortable with the work we put in, with the preparation up to this point.”
The Spurs won’t be able to say the same about every game they play this season. Considering the impact of injuries, burnout and the occasional off day, the chance of perfection is infinitesimal. They’ll continue building, however.
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Wembanyama’s mind-numbing antics will fuel San Antonio’s quest to end its playoff drought; his ongoing education will underscore its collective upswing.
The Spurs know better than to get complacent.
“It feels like it’s time to move on to the next step,” Wembanyama said. “We need to make a statement because we’re all tired of losing. That’s the truth.”
Some call Wembanyama’s capabilities alien. Others are ready to hand him the keys to the league. He’s unstoppable, they say. To that, the Frenchman has a simple response: “OK.” If that’s what’s required of him, he’ll embrace it.
But not before he embraces the mundane. The solid, simple basketball Mitch Johnson wants him to play. And the fact that he’s back on the court at all.
“I saw what it was like to be confronted with potentially losing a lot,” he said. “(My) career or (my) health. I’m not taking this for granted anymore.”
Given the Spurs go as Wembanyama does, neither are they.
“The dice are thrown in the Western Conference,” Wembanyama said. “We just need to fight to the death.”