Stephon Castle's Postgame Message to Victor Wembanyama Goes Viral

In one of the greatest playoff games in recent memory, the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

The matchup went to double overtime and, as expected, Victor Wembanyama led the charge with a staggering stat line of 41 points, 24 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.

Wembanyama hit the game-tying three-pointer to force the second overtime and scored nine of his 41 points during the final extra period.

Following the game, while Wembanyama was conducting a postgame interview, teammate Stephon Castle walked up to him and delivered a strong message.

"Best player in the [expletive] world," Castle said before heading to the locker room.

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Castle had the primary responsibility of guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander whenever he was on the floor and still remained productive offensively, finishing with 17 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds across 48 minutes of action.

The Spurs also made history with their starting lineup. With De’Aaron Fox sidelined, San Antonio's starting five had an average age of just over 23 years old, making it the youngest starting lineup in NBA conference finals history.

It certainly was not just Wembanyama and Castle carrying the load, however, as rookie guard Dylan Harper - who was moved into the starting lineup - finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and a remarkable seven steals.

The Spurs played a total of nine players in the game, though two logged fewer than 10 minutes, and six different players finished in double figures scoring.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 7:06 AM.