Wembanyama shines, Sochan takes home NBA Rising Stars championship

The San Antonio Spurs had two representatives in the opening event of NBA All-Star Weekend, in the Rising Stars Challenge. Jeremy Sochan and Victor Wembanyama took the court for team Jalen Rose and team Pau Gasol. While all eyes were on Wembanyama, it was Sochan’s team that ended up taking home the hardware.

Sochan took the court first as team Jalen took on team Tamika Catchings. It was a rough start for team Jalen, but a flurry of offense from Bennedict Mathurin and Jordan Hawkins led them to a 40-35 win. Sochan was relatively quiet, not inserting himself too much in the game. Finishing with two rebounds as his only logged stats. He was one of the few players to set a screen, which is fitting for the scrappy wing.

Spurs fans had hoped for a final matchup that included Sochan and Wembanyama, but a feisty G League squad led by Detlef Schrempf got in the way. From the tip there was a clear difference in intensity between team Detlef and team Pau. Wembanyama’s squad was trying to get highlight plays, while the G Leaguers were attacking the basket and moving the ball.