With Victor Wembanyama meeting and surpassing many expectations NBA fans and analysts had for him entering the league, one prominent NBA insider believes he actually has what it takes to be more impactful on the league than Lebron James.
There was a massive amount of hype surrounding Frenchman Victor Wembanyama when he entered the 2023 NBA Draft. It reached absurd levels that fans have only seen when Lebron James was a rookie 20 years ago. Yet, after 54 games in the league, all the hype has proven to be legitimate.
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The 20-year-old leads the San Antonio Spurs in four different statistical categories (points, rebounds, steals, and blocks) is breaking rookie records on a regular basis, and is achieving feats many of the legends of the sport have been unable to match. He has done things even James came nowhere close to in his first NBA season.
That is why Sportsnaut asked Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fisher recently if the Spurs star has the talent to have an even bigger influence on the league than the 20-time All-Star has had. And Fisher did not hesitate in confirming he believed he could.
Victor Wembanyama stats (2023-24): 20.7 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 3.3 BPG, 33% 3PT
“I think so, being that he can physically impact more of the court than Lebron can at all times,” Fisher told Sportsnaut. “Some of the stuff he’s capable of doing — like he can stand under the rim and block shots on both sides. Typically you can use the rim as protection. Kids get taught that by skills trainers down to fifth grade. And something you still learn at this level.
“Victor Wembanyama seems to be somebody who can sneak an arm around the rim and poke it out. It’s crazy. He’s still got a lot of room to grow there with San Antonio as a team, and him in particular as an individual but I’d say the early returns are pretty striking in what he’s been able to do. Especially on a team that doesn’t have much punch behind him.”
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While he did not earn All-Star honors in his rookie season, neither did James in his first year in the league in 2023-24. However, he has not missed an All-Star game since and Wembanyama is showing a talent level where he could do the same over the next two decades.