In only his second year, Victor Wembanyama is already one of the best players in the NBA. He's arguably the best two-way player in the league and has numerous nods of approval from his peers. However,

Don't let the haters fool you; the NBA on Christmas Day was a successful outing for the league. One reason for that was the absolute classic between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks that started the festivities.

Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though.

The French superstar invited fans to Washington Square Park for a sparring session of the minds over a chess board

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama swaps the court for the chess board, inviting fans to take him on for a different type of one-on-one in a New York park.

Most of the players interviewed gave simple answers. Spurs guard Devin Vassell and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson wished for wins. San Antonio forward Harrison Barnes elaborated a bit, wishing for a win and quality time with his family after the game.

Victor Wembanyama blistered the Knicks for a game-high 42 points -- the most by a visitor on Christmas at Madison Square Garden -- to go with 18 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks, but the Spurs narrowly lost.

Victor Wembanyama led all players (and the league on Christmas Day) with 42 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Additionally, Jeremy Sochan had an uber efficient night with 21 poin