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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The San Antonio Spurs are moving on. A 114-95 Game 5 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday closed out their first-round series and sent San Antonio into the second round. Victor Wembanyama was his usual self in the win, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks. He won Defensive Player of the Year this season on the back of 3.1 blocks per game, and his impact on the game goes far beyond what any box score can capture.
After the win, De’Aaron Fox was asked about what it is like to play alongside a player of Wembanyama’s caliber. Fox, who spent seven and a half seasons in Sacramento before joining the Spurs, has faced some of the best players in the league throughout his career. His answer put Wembanyama in very specific company.
It was not a comparison anyone saw coming. But it made complete sense.
GettyVictor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors greet each other prior to the game.
Fox did not hesitate when asked about Wembanyama’s effect on the game. He landed on Stephen Curry as the only other player he could compare him to, specifically when it comes to the gravity each player commands on the floor. As Fox put it: “those are the only guys that you see that have the type of gravity that they have.“
The comparison is striking because the two players could not be more different on paper. Curry is 6’2″ and redefines offensive spacing. Wembanyama is 7’4″ and does the same thing on the defensive end. Yet the underlying principle is identical. Both players warp the way opponents play the game simply by being on the court.
Curry’s offensive gravity is one of the most well-documented phenomena in modern basketball. Defenses shift their entire scheme around his movement, whether he has the ball or not, opening up driving lanes and cutting opportunities for his teammates. Wembanyama does the same thing defensively, his presence in the paint forcing drivers to alter shots or abandon them entirely before he even moves.
De’Aaron Fox shouting out Steph Curry when asked about Wemby’s gravity and impact on defense:
“It’s like no one else. I mean, between probably him and Steph like, those are the only guys that you see that have the type of gravity that they have and it’s amazing to play with.”
Fox has firsthand experience with Curry. The two faced off in the 2022-23 playoffs and the 2023-24 Play-In Tournament during Fox’s time in Sacramento. He knows what it looks like to defend that kind of gravity from the other side.
Now experiencing Wembanyama’s version of it from the same team, the parallel was impossible to ignore. It is a meaningful endorsement from a player who has seen both up close, and it adds to a growing conversation about what Wembanyama is becoming in just his second NBA season.
Curry has spent his career creating a gravity that no one else in the league has replicated on the offensive end. Fox is suggesting Wembanyama has found a way to do the same thing defensively.
Two different players. Two different ends of the floor. The same rare, unmatchable effect on everyone around them.
That is the comparison Fox made. It is hard to argue with.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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