If you’re reading this, there’s an astronomically high chance you’re aware Victor Wembanyama recorded 38 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Suns last night.
If he had reached 40, he would have been the fourth player ever to do so in the first five games of their rookie season. And if you’re superstitious, you might find it a good thing he didn’t, considering the company he’d be in.
**Alex Groza**, in his fourth game as an NBA player, scored 41 points for the Indianapolis Olympians in an 83-79 win over the New York Knicks. And he did it in front of the largest crowd the Knicks had ever hosted at the time.
In the offseason following his second season in the league, Groza was arrested for conspiracy and bribery, the highest-profile by far of 30 former college stars—some who, like him, were by then in the NBA—involved in a mafia-run match fixing scandal. Though he avoided prison time as part of a plea deal, Alex Groza was barred from the NBA for life. A part-owner of his team, he was also forced to sell his shares upon threat of the league dissolving the franchise if he didn’t.
**John Drew**, in his third game as an NBA player, scored 41 points and snagged 18 rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks in a 125-92 dismantling of the 76ers.
In the middle of his eleventh NBA season, while trying to catch on with Washington after being waived by the Jazz a month earlier, Drew received a lifetime ban from the NBA (with the possibility of reinstatement after two years) for his third drug offense according to league policy. He did not ever apply for reinstatement.
If you’re guessing the other player to have done this is Wilt Chamberlain, you’d be correct. He scored 40+ in two of his first three NBA games. 43 points and 28 rebounds in his debut; 41 points and 40 rebounds two games later.
Sources:
“San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns Nov 2, 2023 Box Scores.” *The Official Site of the NBA for the Latest NBA Scores, Stats & News.*, www.nba.com/game/sas-vs-phx-0022300131/box-score. Accessed 3 Nov. 2023.
Angelopoulos, Angelo. “Groza Shows Pros a New Pivot Style.” *The Indianapolis News*. November 23, 1949.
“Three Ex-U.K. Stars Admit Bribes.” Associated Press. October 20, 1951.
Simmons, Darrell. “Meet Drew… and the Hawks.” *The Atlanta Journal*. October 23, 1974.
Hemphill, Lex. “’Strike Three, You’re Out,’ Determines NBA in John Drew Case.” *The Salt Lake Tribune*. January 22, 1986.
Kieran, Chris. “Stilt’s 43 Lifts Philly, 118-109, Over Knicks.” *Daily News* (New York, NY). October 25, 1959.
Webster, John. “Chamberlain Scored 41 in Warrior Win.” *The Philadelphia Inquirer.* November 5, 1959.
32 comments
Why’d the previous one get deleted? Sources?
what kinda rule can we create on the spot to get wemby banned? maybe ban players with VW initials?
Players before 92 don’t count
Can’t even write his name without it. I’ll let you interpret that however you want
> If you’re guessing the other player to have done this is Wilt Chamberlain, you’d be correct
The Chamberlain Rule: if a stat is unbelievable, it belongs to Wilt.
Man John drew getting his third strike under the substance abuse policy for going to rehab is some fucking bullshit
My favorite part of this post is that he didn’t even score 40 points. Really ups the pointlessness.
43 and 28 in his NBA debut is one of the most Wilt things I’ve ever read.
>43 points and 28 rebounds in his debut; 41 points and 40 rebounds two games later.
JFC Wilt….
Quality content.
This is the type of useless statics that are interesting.
Too bad we can not gild anymore.
Hope that Wilt guy made it.
For me, it was the bibliography
MLA sources on bottom is such a flex. Nice post OP
Brandon Jennings scored 55 in his 7th game so he’s almost here. Except he wasn’t banned from the league I don’t think
Correlation doesn’t mean cause and effect
How was Groza part owner of his team already 2 years into the league?
bro included a works cited page
It’s a good thing 4 players is a statistically significant sample!
Can we retroactively ban Wilt? Because dropping 40 points and 40 rebounds in your third fucking game should be illegal
there are the stats I’m here for
I read this as: “there is a 1 in 3 chance that this kid is Wilt!”
Phew. Wemby dodged a bad one there. But I’m not surprised given how agile he is.
Alex Groza’s brother is hall of fame NFL kicker Lou Groza, interesting.
Didn’t Brandon Jennings score 55 in his 5th game?
And it’s not even the off season. Great post.
that’s not really how statistics work
OP, I can’t lie to you….The Alex Groza got me much more interested in what the hell he was on than anything I could imagine…as why would a player be a part-owner of anything in his first few years?!??!
Do you have a source directly for that one? I can’t find it…
40 rebounds, fuckin hell
That’s why Brandon Jennings waited until his seventh game to drop 55.
Thank god Wemby didn’t
Filthy Casual 40/40 game in his third game in the show.
That’s pretty grim since, while Wilt wasn’t *banned*, he too did exit the league because he was forbidden to play, maybe not permanently but it was long enough to say, fuckit volleyball seems nice.
(See other sources for a better writeup of Wilt leaving basketball while still being a recent FMVP with amazing stats.)