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SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Draymond Green #23 of Golden State Warriors stares down Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs after fouling him In a NBA Gold Cup game in the second half at Frost Bank Center on November 14, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
Draymond Green has seen plenty of great playoff performances up close. Four championships with the Golden State Warriors. Decades of high-stakes basketball. He has been on the floor for some of the most memorable moments the NBA has produced in the last decade.
When he says a performance belongs in the conversation for one of the greatest he has ever witnessed, it carries weight.
After Monday night’s Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Green had plenty to say about Victor Wembanyama.
GettySan Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
Speaking on his podcast this week, Green placed Wembanyama’s 41-point, 24-rebound double-overtime performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder among the top playoff performances he has ever seen. His reasoning went beyond the raw numbers.
Green described the full picture of what Wembanyama accomplished Monday night. The San Antonio Spurs went on the road against the defending champions on the night Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was presented the MVP award, without starting point guard De’Aaron Fox due to injury. Wembanyama delivered in every way necessary, including “hitting a bomb from no-man’s land,” Green said, referencing the 27-foot three-pointer that tied the game with 30 seconds left in the first overtime and forced a second extra session.
Green was emphatic. When all of that context is factored in, he said the performance has to be considered among the top five playoff performances he has ever seen.
Green also broke down the defensive impact Wembanyama had on Oklahoma City’s MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander shot just 7-of-23 from the field in an uncharacteristically inefficient night, and Green explained why.
His argument was that Wembanyama’s presence fundamentally altered what shots Gilgeous-Alexander felt comfortable taking. Drives that normally end in layups or short pull-ups instead ran into a 7’4″ wall. Shots that Gilgeous-Alexander typically makes were short-armed because of what was waiting at the rim. Green noted that the Spurs’ defensive scheme of allowing Gilgeous-Alexander to go downhill worked precisely because Wembanyama was the last line of defense.
The implication was clear. Wembanyama did not just put up numbers. He changed the game on both ends simultaneously.
GettyGolden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson during Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Green also mentioned Klay Thompson‘s iconic Game 6 performance against the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference semifinals as another all-time great playoff game he has witnessed in person. The comparison placed Wembanyama’s Monday night effort in genuinely elite company.
Thompson dropped 41 points on 11 three-pointers in a must-win game that helped drag the Warriors back from the brink of elimination. Green was on the floor for that one too. The fact that he is putting Wembanyama’s performance in the same breath says everything about how he views what happened Monday night.
Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists during the regular season while leading the NBA with 3.1 blocks per game. Game 1 was a reminder that the regular season version and the playoff version are operating on different levels entirely.
The Spurs could not sustain the momentum. In Game 2 on Wednesday, the Thunder bounced back with a 122-113 win to level the series at 1-1. Gilgeous-Alexander responded with 30 points on 50 percent shooting after his difficult Game 1. The Spurs were undone by 21 turnovers, with Stephon Castle committing nine alone. Both teams also absorbed injury blows, with Jalen Williams and Dylan Harper both leaving the game and their statuses heading into Game 3 unclear.
The series shifts to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday night. It is tied 1-1 and getting more physical by the game.
Green has seen great playoff performances from the best seat in the house. Putting Wembanyama’s Game 1 alongside Game 6 Klay is a significant statement.
The series is tied 1-1. Game 3 is Friday in San Antonio. The Western Conference Finals is living up to every bit of the hype.
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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