In today’s Dub Hub:
- Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama hits clutch three in Game 1 vs. Thunder eerily similar to Steph Curry’s iconic “double bang” shot.
- ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft has the Warriors selecting Arizona freshman guard Brayden Burries.
- Pelicans hire former Magic coach Jamahl Mosley as their next head coach, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Golden State Warriors’ season may be over, but Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs gave fans a moment that felt all too familiar to Dub Nation on Monday night.
Late in overtime during San Antonio’s 122-115 Game 1 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, Wembanyama pulled up from deep near the exact same spot where Steph Curry buried his iconic “double bang” three against OKC back in 2016.
The similarities were impossible to ignore. Same arena. Same opponent. Same fearless audacity to pull up from well beyond the three-point line with the game hanging in the balance.
Only this time, it was a 7-foot-4 basketball alien doing it.
Wembanyama finished with 41 points and 24 rebounds in the thrilling double-overtime victory, but his deep three quickly became the defining highlight of the night.
And much like Curry’s legendary performance against the Thunder nearly a decade ago, the shot felt like a statement to the rest of the NBA. If there were still any questions about whether Wembanyama had truly arrived, there shouldn’t be anymore.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, May 19th:
Warriors News:
How Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama showed he’s NBA’s Steph Curry 2.0 | NBC Sports Bay Area
The Spurs have their young Steph. The NBA has its new Steph. Someone who captivates fans, motivates teammates, dominates opponents and whose unprecedented impact makes him the envy of every franchise in the league. Someone whose presence ensures generous national-television exposure, year after year.
And Wemby is polishing his star five years before Curry, who turned 27 a month before the 2015 postseason.
From a marketing and promotions viewpoint, Wemby is Steph 2.0 – a foot taller, possessing gifts that can dominate on offense and defense.
2026 NBA mock draft: Projecting all 60 picks post-combine | ESPN
Steve Kerr’s decision to return to the Warriors is a fair indicator that Golden State doesn’t plan to rebuild in the near future, but this pick gives it a chance to get younger and deeper. Long-term injuries to Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody mean the Warriors will be extremely light on the perimeter to open next season, which could be a consideration here. GM Mike Dunleavy also told reporters this week that Golden State would consider moving around in the draft.
Burries is drawing looks inside the top 10 but could also end up being the guard who falls. He would be a solid fit for the Warriors in this scenario. His dimensions will play up better on the ball than at the two, but his sturdy build should also help him defend wings. The fact he’s a year older than some of the other freshmen and somewhat caught between positions based on tools makes him more of a back-half lottery option.
Warriors very impressed by guard prospect Darius Acuff Jr., per Arkansas reporter Kevin McPherson
NBA News:
Alex Caruso took on an impossible challenge for the Thunder. He almost succeeded | The Athletic
Caruso kept shooting and hitting, often enough that it warranted Wembanyama gradually inching closer to him on the perimeter. He tried to weaponize the 22-year-old’s own overzealous tendencies.
“He’s a good player defensively, so he’s trying to make all the plays, and rightfully so. He can make them,” Caruso said of Wembanyama. “So part of that is just being smart about how you attack him. You watch the first couple series that they played, and there’s times where they’re just trying to shoot layups over him, and that’s not how you should play against him, right?
“I’m not gonna give you our game plan, but there’s times to be aggressive, and there’s times to manipulate the defense and get better shots.”
Pelicans hire Jamahl Mosley as their new head coach, per ESPN’s Shams Charania
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
NBA 2K, Boys & Girls Club SF unveil new Excelsior basketball court
And somehow, that atmosphere was sitting right here in our own backyard Wednesday afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club Excelsior Clubhouse in San Francisco, where 2K Foundations (the philanthrophic arm of the legendary 2K video game franchise) unveiled a newly refurbished basketball court designed for the hundreds of kids who use the facility every week.
I was invited out to cover the unveiling, which featured appearances from Ronnie 2K, Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard, and GSW champion Festus Ezeli. But as cool as the event itself was, what stuck with me most happened before the ribbon cutting.
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
