VICTOR Wembanyama insists he didn’t realise how close he was to pulling off a very rare feat in the NBA.

Wembanyama fell just short of recording a quadruple-double for the San Antonio Spurs against the Denver Nuggets.

Instead, “Wemby” had to settle for 23 points, 15 rebounds, nine blocks and eight assists.

A quadruple-double is recorded when a player finishes with 10 or more in four of the five major statistical categories of points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

The last time it was pulled off in the NBA was three decades ago, by David Robinson for the Spurs in 1994.

“I didn’t know I was close. It’ll happen eventually, but I have other priorities,” Wembanyama said after the game.

He certainly got plenty of love on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.

One fan wrote, “He doesn’t care about stats. Just wants to win. Been like that since day one. Old school mentality. With that attitude he will be a champion.”

Another fan posted, “Make it happen wemby. GOAT rookie.”

And one person said, “So many future mvps, dpoys, and hopefully championships.”

Wembanyama has been taking the league by storm since being selected by the Spurs with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

He seems almost certain to be named Rookie of the Year.

His stats on Tuesday helped him cross two new barriers – he has now reached 1,400 points and 700 rebounds this season.

Reflecting on the game, Wembanyama said, “It was a great fight. We showed a good effort on both side of the court.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone called Wembanyama “the future of the NBA” after Tuesday’s game, which was hard-fought throughout.

The Nuggets eventually clinched a 110-105 win, taking them to 53-23 for the season.

The Spurs slipped to 18-58, but certainly gave it their all in an enthralling game.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said, “That’s one of the most competitive performances I’ve been involved with for many years.

“So many people participated in the effort. The best I’ve seen all year.

“Losing sucks but to see how far they’ve come this season is really a joy.”

The prolific Nikola Jokic had 42 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal for the Nuggets.

Wembanyama and the Spurs will next be in action when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. After that, they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.