Wembanyama shines as Spurs start season in Dallas

The San Antonio Spurs opened the 2025-26 NBA season in Dallas on Wednesday, and through the first half the story was Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs held a 60-51 lead at intermission at the American Airlines Center after Wembanyama scored 21 points, grabbed eight rebounds and recorded a block in the first 24 minutes, punctuating several high-difficulty finishes including two and-ones and a reverse dunk. The game also marked the regular-season debut of rookie Cooper Flagg for the Mavericks, who struggled offensively early before scoring his first points in the second half.

Wembanyama’s first-half surge reinforced expectations that the 21-year-old center, cleared this offseason after a deep vein thrombosis sidelined him last season, is positioned for a breakout campaign. He spent the summer working with former players and coaches to add strength and polish to his game and posted strong preseason numbers while San Antonio went unbeaten in five tuneup games. Wembanyama has publicly set a clear team goal for the season: direct entry into the playoffs rather than the play-in tournament. "Success would be getting to the playoffs and not the playin," he said on October 20.