San Antonio Spurs First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Victor Wembanyama scored the Spurs’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 32 times in 77 starts, or 42% of the games they started. Devin Vassell was next with 21. The Spurs made the game’s first field goal in 59% of their 104 games and won 79% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Spurs in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any SAS player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for SAS | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 77 | 32 | 42% | 20 | 26% |
| Devin Vassell | 87 | 21 | 24% | 12 | 14% |
| De’Aaron Fox | 92 | 19 | 21% | 13 | 14% |
| Stephon Castle | 89 | 16 | 18% | 9 | 10% |
| Julian Champagnie | 91 | 7 | 8% | 4 | 4% |
| Harrison Barnes | 51 | 4 | 8% | 1 | 2% |
| Luke Kornet | 25 | 3 | 12% | 1 | 4% |
| Bismack Biyombo | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 100% |
| Dylan Harper | 6 | 1 | 17% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Spurs scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 104 | 61 | 59% |
| Home | 52 | 31 | 60% |
| Away | 52 | 30 | 58% |
| Regular season | 81 | 44 | 54% |
| Playoffs | 23 | 17 | 74% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 76 | 68 | 89% |
| Luke Kornet | 25 | 11 | 44% |
| Bismack Biyombo | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Mason Plumlee | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Team | 103 | 81 | 79% |
How the Spurs’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 31 | 30% |
| 3-pointer | 31 | 30% |
| Layup | 24 | 23% |
| Dunk | 18 | 17% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for SAS | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 44 | 15 | 34% | 8 | 18% |
| Devin Vassell | 51 | 13 | 25% | 6 | 12% |
| Julian Champagnie | 29 | 11 | 38% | 5 | 17% |
| Stephon Castle | 45 | 9 | 20% | 2 | 4% |
| Harrison Barnes | 80 | 8 | 10% | 1 | 1% |
| Bismack Biyombo | 26 | 7 | 27% | 5 | 19% |
| Chris Paul | 80 | 6 | 8% | 4 | 5% |
| Jeremy Sochan | 23 | 6 | 26% | 3 | 13% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Spurs?
Victor Wembanyama, with 32 of the Spurs’ first baskets in 2025-26 (42% of their 77 starts), ahead of Devin Vassell with 21.
How often do the Spurs score first?
The Spurs made the first field goal in 61 of 104 games in 2025-26 (59%): 60% at home and 58% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Spurs?
Victor Wembanyama took 76 of the Spurs’ 103 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 89% of them.
Is Victor Wembanyama a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 42% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.