Victor Wembanyama’s highly-anticipated NBA debut finally happened on Wednesday as the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Dallas Mavericks in their season opener. 

Right away, the No.1 pick showed off the defense his 7-foot-4 frame comes with. 

In the first 30 seconds of the game, Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving used his shifty ball-handling skills to beat Jeremy Sochan and Zach Collins with two dribbles.

But as the eight-time All-Star and 2016 NBA Champion pulled up for the jump shot, the rookie immediately used his wingspan and stopped the ball just as it left Irving’s hands. 

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Rookie Victor Wembanyama made his debut with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night

A few minutes later, Wembanyama’s first six three-pointers of the game in the first quarter sent the San Antonio fans into a frenzy.

Wembanyama worked a 23-minute shift and produced results. 

The 19-year-old made six of his nine field goal tries and scored nine points in the fourth quarter to finish with a total of 15. Wembanyama also snatched up two steals, two assists, and five rebounds.

Sadly, Luka Doncic and company proved to be too strong in the closing minutes of the game for the Spurs. Doncic scored 33 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in his triple-double debut. Irving supported it with 22 points, and the Mavericks won 126–119. 

The Spurs will play their next game at home on Friday against the Houston Rockets, another team rooted in Texas.