Victor Wembanyama stats, highlights: Spurs rookie shines as defender, passer in Summer League debut vs. Hornets

The Victor Wembanyama era has begun.

In front of a sold-out crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center, Wembanyama made his NBA debut as his Spurs took on No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller and the Hornets at the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas.

Pregame hype and anticipation reached unprecedented levels as fans were on the edge of their seats to catch a glimpse of the French phenom. It wasn't exactly a notable night for Wembanyama offensively, as he finished with just nine points on 2-of-13 shooting from the field, but the 19-year-old pulled down eight boards, blocked five shots and dished out some impressive passes.

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Wembanyama's Summer League debut. Recap all of the action below.

NBA SUMMER LEAGUE: Best players & teams to watch in Las Vegas

Spurs vs. Hornets score

Victor Wembanyama live score, stats, highlights from Summer League debut in Spurs vs. Hornets at Las Vegas

Victor Wembanyama stats

9 PTS (2-13 FG, 1-6 3FG, 4-4 FT), 8 REB, 5 BLK, 2 AST

Final: Spurs 76, Hornets 68

11:10 p.m. — It's a wrap at Thomas & Mack. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs move to 1-0 with an eight-point win over the Hornets.

Wembanyama finished with just nine points on 2-of-13 shooting. The Spurs were led by 20 points from Julian Champagnie while Malaki Branham added 17 points in the game.

For Charlotte, Brandon Miller had a team-high 16 points but shot just 5-of-15 from the field. 

11:04 p.m. — Boom.

Victor Wembanyama drains his first 3-pointer of the night and it comes as an opportunity for a 4-point play. Wembanyama is up to eight points and is now 2-of-11 from the field and 1-of-6 from distance.

He can bring his total up to nine points with a free throw after the break.

11:02 p.m. — Victor Wembanyama checks back in with just four minutes remaining in regulation.

Whether it's for the remainder of the game or one final spurt, we'll see how much longer Wembanyama will stay on the floor.

10:53 p.m. — Victor Wembanyama heads back to the bench but still hasn't been able to get things going offensively. He has just five points and is now 1-of-9 from the field.

He has made his impact felt, however, pulling down seven rebounds and blocking five shots in 23 minutes.

End of Third Quarter: Spurs 58, Hornets 45

10:47 p.m. — Three quarters down, one to go. San Antonio leads by 13.

Victor Wembanyama didn't attempt a shot in the third and is sitting on five points on 1-of-7 shooting. He's added seven rebounds, three blocks and two assists.

Malaki Branham (14), Julian Champagnie (14), Blake Wesley (11) and Dominick Barlow (10) are the four Spurs in double figures.

Brandon Miller is 3-of-12 from the field but leads the Hornets with 11 points and has also pulled down eight rebounds.

10:40 p.m. — The third quarter is winding down and the Hornets are trying to stay in it.

San Antonio leads by 10 with under three minutes remaining in the third.

Victor Wembanyama will check in for the final few minutes of the frame and will look to add to his stat line for the night while helping San Antonio extend its lead back out.

10:30 p.m. — A real welcome to the NBA moment for Victor Wembanyama.

Hornets forward Kai Jones rose up for a pretty incredible alley-oop finish over a leaping Wembanyama's outstretched arms.

KAI JONES HAS OTHERWORLDLY BOUNCE 🤯#NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPN pic.twitter.com/p1Ij0INwkc

— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2023

10:28 p.m. — As we approach the midway point of the third quarter, Victor Wembanyama has not added to his points tally, but continues to rack up rebounds.

He's got seven boards to go along with his five points, three blocks and two assists. Wembanyama has yet to attempt a shot in the second half, but the Spurs' lead has ballooned up to 16 points.

Halftime: Spurs 38, Hornets 26

10:12 p.m. — One half is in the books and San Antonio has a 12-point lead.

Victor Wembanyama hasn't gotten it going from the field, but has five points, five rebounds, three blocks and an assist in 13 minutes of action. Defensively, he's blocked three shots, including a 3-point attempt.

10:09 p.m. — Victor Wembanyama is up to five points on the night after draining two more free throws.

In addition to his scoring, he's got five boards and three blocks.

San Antonio is holding on to a double-digit lead as the half comes to a close.

10:04 p.m. — As the first half winds down, Victor Wembanyama is going to check in for the final few minutes.

There's a timeout on the floor, but 2:26 remains in the half.

9:55 p.m. — Victor Wembanyama checks back out midway through the second quarter.

He hasn't added any more points to his tally just yet, but his basketball IQ has been on full display and he's snagged a few more rebounds.

End of First Quarter: Spurs 15, Hornets 12

9:44 p.m. — One quarter is in the books, and the Spurs have a three-point lead. Victor Wembanyama has three points, three rebounds, an assist and a block.

On the other side of things, Brandon Miller leads all scorers with six points, draining two 3-pointers early on.

9:40 p.m. — Victor Wembanyama has checked back in for his second spurt of the night.

It didn't result in a made basket, but he's turned more heads with another impressive drive leading to a pass to Sidy Cissoko.

Victor's handles and vision are absurd. pic.twitter.com/ANpVPWKCZz

— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2023

9:32 p.m. — After the first timeout of the game, Wembanyama gets his first break of the night. He takes the bench with three points, two rebounds, an assist and a block to his name.

9:30 p.m. — The moment is here and after missing his first two field goal attempts — one of which was a dunk — Wembanyama gets on the board with an and-one finish in the post. Wembanyama converted the free throw as well.

WEMBY AND-1, his first bucket!#NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPN pic.twitter.com/eRCAiGB1CH

— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2023

In addition to his first bucket, Wembanyama's already blocked a shot, and pushed the ball in transition to set a teammate up for his first assist of the night.

Block the shot.
Push it in transition.
Drop the dime.

Victor Wembanyama making an impact right away during his #NBA2KSummerLeague debut on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/CCa604r02w

— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2023

Pregame

9 p.m. — The anticipation is growing. 

San Antonio and Charlotte are waiting to take the floor as the game between the Trail Blazers and Rockets comes down to the wire.

After the Spurs and Hornets get some time to warm up, they'll take the floor for the main event.

8:32 p.m. — The time is almost here. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs have arrived at the Thomas & Mack Center, which is already filling up.

Almost time 🕐 pic.twitter.com/AXBzarHWjK

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 8, 2023

What channel is Spurs vs. Hornets on?

• Date: Friday, July 7
• TV channel: ESPN
• Live streaming: Sling TV

Spurs vs. Hornets will air on ESPN. Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV.

Fans in the U.S. can watch NBA Summer League games on Sling TV. You can watch the top draft picks make their Summer League debuts and stream the sports you love starting at just $15 in your first month with Sling Orange.

What time is Spurs vs. Hornets tonight?

• Date: Friday, July 7
• Time: 9 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. PT

Spurs vs. Hornets will tip off around 9 p.m. ET on Friday, July 7. The game will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Spurs' NBA Summer League schedule

Here is the Spurs' complete schedule for the Las Vegas Summer League:

Spurs' NBA Summer League roster

Here is the Spurs' complete roster for the Las Vegas Summer League: