Miami Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson gave San Antonio Spurs rookie – and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft – Victor Wembanyama a “welcome to the NBA” moment in Miami’s win on Sunday night.
Robinson drove baseline on Wembanyama, and he faked as if he was going to head back towards the 3-point line.
The fake caused Wembanyama to commit and lean toward Robinson, who then sped past the big man for a layup. It was a great play, and it led to quite the response from Heat fans and others around the NBA on social media.
Duncan just cooked Wemby 😅 pic.twitter.com/dsKD62EKt7
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) November 13, 2023
Robinson, who is more known for his shooting ability than his ball-handling skills, certainly showed Wembanyama that playing defense at the NBA level isn’t easy.
I still can’t believe Duncan Robinson gave Wemby his Welcome to the NBA moment I’m shook
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) November 13, 2023
One analyst referenced a segment from the Knuckleheads podcast with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles where they ask players about the first time they really got beat by someone in the NBA.
The analyst predicted Wembanyama’s conversation should he ever join the podcast.
**Somewhere in the future**
Quentin Richardson: "Who bust yo ass?"
Victor Wembanyama: "You remember Duncan Robinson?"
Darius Miles: "Oh he shot the lights out against you or somethin?"
Wemby: *Long pause* https://t.co/lPGFY3fLEf
— Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) November 13, 2023
Robinson shocked others around the NBA with his clever move, especially since it’s not something he does on a nightly basis.
just did not have duncan robinson hitting wemby with a smitty and it working on my bingo card.
basketball is fun. https://t.co/fPOvmCle1S
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) November 13, 2023
A Heat fan suggested that Wembanyama will be left out of the debate for the greatest player of all time because he was schooled by Robinson.
One day, my kid will ask me
“Dad, why isn’t Wemby in the GOAT debate?”
“Well…There was this guy named Duncan Robinson” pic.twitter.com/oCIqh4AKsS
— Emo Jimmy (@WheelerJaylen) November 13, 2023
Mike Ryan of the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz took it a step further, comparing Wembanyama’s stats early in his career to the likes of Robinson and Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier.
While Ryan may have been a little harsh on the rookie, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Robinson made quite the move against Wembanyama.
"Did you know that he shoots worse from the field than Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier?…thank god we are protecting the game of basketball by letting this guy pretend he's Kevin Durant." – @MichaelRyanRuiz continues his crusade against Wemby after losing to the Heat last… pic.twitter.com/j9k9VkKdAj
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) November 13, 2023
Robinson had a huge game on Sunday with the Heat missing guard Tyler Herro, as he scored 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field (4-of-7 from beyond the arc) while adding five rebounds and four assists.
Miami outscored the Spurs by seven points in the fourth quarter to secure a five-point win.
While Wembanyama may end up as a better player than Robinson when both players are done with their careers, the Heat sharpshooter will always have this play to look back on.
