Victor Wembanyama erupted on the basketball circuit when a video of him playing 1v1 against Rudy Gobert went viral on social media. Later, Wemby’s performance at the U19 World Cup against Chet Holmgren and Team USA would leave fans impressed. However, it was after the Metropolitans 92’s two-game series against Scoot Henderson’s G-League Ignite team that Wembanyama became an overnight sensation.
Recording 73 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 blocked shots in those 2 games, the 7” 5’ Center instantly rose up to the #1 spot on several mock drafts.
Since then, Victor has managed to live up to the hype. Playing at the French LNB Pro A league, the teenager had an incredible season. Leading the Mets’ 92 to a winning record, Wembanyama accumulated 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2.4 steals per game. As a result, the prospect gathered a majority of the accolades the league had to offer – Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Best Young Player.
Quelle saison pour Wemby 🤯🤩 #GoMets92 #BetclicELITE pic.twitter.com/hapu7E5auW
— Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 (@Metropolitans92) May 17, 2023
LeBron James and other NBA stars have been gushing over Victor Wembanyama
Ever since the matchup against the G-League side concluded, Wembanyama became a household name in the NBA community. Joining analysts and enthusiasts, several NBA stars have also praised the physical anomaly.
LeBron James dismissed the admission of Wemby being a unicorn. Instead, King James went ahead and claimed that the youngster was an “alien”, implying that the basketball world has never seen a physical specimen quite like him.
“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s [Wembanyama] more like an alien. No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor.”
“He’s for sure a generational talent and hopefully, he continues to stay healthy as it’s most important for him personally,” said the Lakers forward.
LeBron James is asked if he watched Victor Webanyama play last night, and if so, if he could share his thoughts.
The answer:https://t.co/5zx0t9SJHP pic.twitter.com/TEsGkv4RQ0
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) October 6, 2022
Stephen Curry had a rather hilarious analogy while dishing out praises to the European prospect. Stating that Victor was built like NBA 2K’s “Create-A-Player”, the Golden State Warriors superstar was left in awe.
“He’s like the [NBA] 2K create-a-player, every point guard that wants to be 7-foot. Cheat-code-type vibes, man. He’s a solid talent. It’s great to watch,” Curry said.
"He’s like the 2K Create-A-Player"
Steph’s scouting report on Victor Wembanyama 😂 pic.twitter.com/9MFexK5sFY
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 6, 2022
Kevin Durant, who is considered to be one of the greatest “unicorns” in history, also had huge praises. Stating that the league would be in “trouble” when Victor would set foot on the NBA hardwood, KD said:
“That type of talent and skill just puts a smile on your face if you play basketball,” said Durant. “The evolution of the game has taken us this far. We got a 7’5” dude that’s able to do everything on the court. It’s inspiring to a lot of people. The league’s really in trouble when he comes in. I want to see how it plays out. Everybody has been excited about his arrival to the league so we’ll see what happens,” the 2014 MVP added.
"The league is really in trouble when he comes in… Everybody's really excited for his arrival to the league so will see what happens."
Kevin Durant on Victor Wembanyama 👀
(via @erikslater_) pic.twitter.com/u0oInDHN2n
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 7, 2022
Giannis Antetokounmpo went a step further and predicted that the teenager could end up being the GOAT (greatest of all time).
“He has the chance to be one of the best, not at his age, not in Europe, but one of the best to ever play this game. We have never seen someone like that before. I think it’s a good challenge for everybody in the league, to have somebody who’s 7-foot-2 and is able to shoot over you, dribble like he’s a guard, block shots, and run down the floor fast. We gotta get ready for this kid, you know? He’s going to be really good,” Antetokounmpo said.
"He's incredible man… We gotta get ready for this kid, he's going to be really good"
Giannis on watching Victor Wembanyama play in 2021 pic.twitter.com/zNH5hsWzwf
— NBA (@NBA) October 6, 2022
Victor Wembanyama is set to kickstart his NBA career
Even before the Draft Lottery, Wembanyama was the guaranteed #1 pick. The NBA Draft was merely a formality that the San Antonio Spurs had to go through in order to add the prodigy to their roster.
Expected to win the 2024 Rookie of the Year honors, we will be witnessing the Frenchman participate in the Summer League before donning the Spurs jersey in the 2023-2024 regular season.
Regarded as the greatest prospect since LeBron James, fans cannot wait to see how the rookie will perform under the guidance of Coach Gregg Popovich. Only time will tell whether Victor Wembanyama is a bust or lives up to the surreal hype.
