The NBA’s first alien made his Denver debut Sunday at Ball Arena.

For years, players with an unfathomable combinations of size and skill – guys like Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Kristaps Porzingis – have been labeled unicorns for their unique skillsets. LeBron James went a step further when discussing San Antonio forward Victor Wembanyama well before the rookie, who’s actually from France, was ever drafted with the first overall pick in the summer’s draft.

“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years,” James said more than a year ago. “But he’s more like an alien. No one has seen anyone as tall as he is but (also) as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor.”

Wembanyama appreciated the nod from one of the game’s greats. Nike has run with the idea, referencing one of the latest of their stars to sport the brand as “The Extraterrestrial.” He posted an out-of-this-world stat line in under 25 minutes, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, four blocks and two assists against the Nuggets. He’s the first rookie in NBA history to post that stat line.

“I like bringing something new to the game,” Wembanyama said outside the Spurs locker room postgame. “I’m glad I can already put my name in history a little bit. It’s a good feeling.”

Another player who knows something about changing the game believes the Spurs’ young talent has more history-making moments in front of him.

“The guy is 19 years old. He’s going to change the game, 100 percent. He is already on that path,” Nikola Jokic said after Denver’s 132-120 win over San Antonio.

“Just enjoy and watch the show and let the guy change the game.”

Jokic put on his own show with a game-high 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. He was one of five Nuggets in double figures even though Denver was without Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

“I can see why they won it. It’s a very balanced team. It feels like they know each other very well. It’s a great challenge. Every time we’re going to play them, it’s going to be great, good intensity,” Wembanyama said.

“What’s most beautiful about them is everyone knows their role.”

To deal with the otherworldly rookie, Nuggets coach Michael Malone started the 6-foot-10 Michael Porter Jr. on Wembanyama. Malone also tried Zeke Nnaji alongside Jokic to deal with the size and even went to 6-foot-11 veteran DeAndre Jordan, who only played in one of Denver’s first 16 games.

“Yeah, he’s tall,” Porter said when asked if it was weird for him to look up at his defensive assignment. “I think it’s similar to what a guy would do to me, who’s shorter than me. It bothers me when defenders try to get underneath me and really just like be physical. I feel like, being a 6’10” dude, you don’t usually get to do that on the defensive side, but when you’re playing someone that’s 7’4” you can use that same tactic against them. I knew what bothered me. … That’s all you can really do against someone like Victor.”

The Spurs rookie made his presence known early. He hit a fadeaway over Porter to get the Spurs on the board and took four of San Antonio’s first five shots. He scored the Spurs’ first seven points. He also blocked a Reggie Jackson layup and stole a Jokic pass in the first three minutes. After Jokic turned down what appeared to be an open shot in the paint, Justin Holiday stole a pass and got out on the break with Wembanyama in pursuit. Holiday finished with a fast-break dunk. Porter also had a contested finish around the French phenom in the second half.

“He’s a great shot blocker. He’s a great presence, but at the end of the day, he’s still a human being,” Porter said, going against the narrative.

“He can block a lot of shots. He definitely makes you adjust. My shot, it was an adjustment at the rim, a tough finish.”

After a couple of rebounds and a put-back, Wembanyama finished the first quarter with nine points and six rebounds. The 19-year-old kept it going in the second with another tip-in and his second 3-pointer early in the second quarter. The rookie’s reported 8-foot wing span was on full display late in the second quarter. After Jokic put a little extra loft on one of his floaters to get it over the Spurs’ forward, Wembanyama used his length to steal one of Jokic’s no-look passes on the next possession. Jokic said he didn’t change his approach against the supersized Spur.

“I didn’t,” Jokic said. “That’s why my shot got blocked a couple of times. Then, he stole – two times – the ball from me.”

The favorite for Rookie of the Year finished the first half with 17 points, nine rebounds and four steals. The fifth and sixth steals came in the first three minutes of the third quarter. The rookie had one of the more incredible missed dunks in NBA history when he tried to put Julian Strawther on a poster later in the third quarter. The bravery to stand up to the star in the making earned Denver’s rookie some respect.

“A lot of guys are getting out of the way. People have a phobia of being on Sportscenter and getting dunked on. Victor Wembanyama, he’s going to dunk on a lot of people. That guy is a hell of a player who is only going to get better,” Malone said.

“I was proud of Julian for trying to make the right play within our defense.”

He didn’t play the final 10 minutes of the blowout, but he made an impression on the Nuggets during his first encounter in Denver.

“If he continues to get stronger, he continues to work on his game, continues to be able to bump people and then get easy looks, yeah, I think he can be as good as he really wants to be,” Porter said.

NUGGETS 132, SPURS 120

What happened: Denver’s still undefeated at Ball Arena.

A hot start was only good enough for the Nuggets to take a four-point lead to start the second quarter. A more complete effort on both ends in the second quarter helped the Nuggets stretch the lead to 20 late in the second, but Victor Wembanyama helped the Spurs close within 72-60 at halftime. The Spurs would make it a seven-point game early in the third, but the threat was short-lived. Denver stretched the gap to 24 with a few minutes left in the third. The Nuggets started the fourth quarter with a 23-point edge. Denver’s end-of-bench players handled the final minute and change of Denver’s eighth straight win at Ball Arena to start the season.

What went right: The Nuggets played the type of offense Michael Malone hoped to see in the first quarter. Denver’s coach lamented his team’s offensive efficiency on the five-game road trip prior to Sunday’s game. The Nuggets made 13 of 19 shots from the field and hit their first five 3-pointers. Denver had 12 assists in the opening quarter. Michael Porter Jr. scored 12 of his 25 points in the first quarter, and all of Denver’s starters had at least two assists in the opening period. The Nuggets finished the first half with 22 assists on 25 made shots. The hosts were 8 of 14 in the first half and 14 of 18 from the free throw line.

What went wrong: Denver let its offense do most of the work in the first half. For as hot as the Nuggets were, the Spurs put up 35 points of their own in the first quarter. Victor Wembanyama scored nine points on seven shots, while Devin Vassell made 3 of his 4 attempts from 3 in the first. San Antonio went 7 of 11 from 3 to keep it close.

Highlight of the night: There were plenty of eye-popping plays from Victor Wembanyama to pick from, but Michael Porter Jr. avoided being on the wrong end of another potential highlight. The Nuggets forward beat his man off the dribble early in the fourth. San Antonio’s star rookie came over to offer help. With going over the top of Wembanyama not a viable option, Porter contorted his body to finish a reverse layup while drawing Wembanyama’s fourth foul. The free throw gave the Nuggets a 28-point lead.

Up next: The Nuggets headed right back to the airport to get to Los Angeles for Monday’s game against the Clippers.