Wembanyama

John Hollinger analyzes Wembanyama's absolutely incredible game, but explains why tanking is not a strategy NBA teams should take on.

Beyond that, it wasn’t even the statistical accumulation that was so amazing, but the breathtaking way in which he accomplished it. Over the two games, Wembanyama scored 73 points, shot 9 of 18 on 3-pointers, drew 28 free throws, blocked nine shots … But nothing could have prepared us for the show we got from both players

ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported drafting Victor Wembanyama might add as much as $500M to the value of the NBA franchise. These are painful words ...

And that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the EuroLeague fans, who were ready to witness his greatness weekly on the biggest European stage this season. But he couldn't finish the season in the French league due to a muscle injury. The initial idea was to move Wembanyama to Paris. They would have played at least 68 games in EuroLeague and French league (excluding the playoff games). But as his agent Bouna Ndiaye recalled, that was never the case for Wembanyama. He bought some time and did meetings when Wembanyama's camp showed they would opt out of the three-year contract with ASVEL in June. He came back and finished the season with a couple of promising EuroLeague performances vs. They had one giant reason from an average domestic league club in Europe that overshadowed the tip-off of the 2022-23 EuroLeague season. NBA talking heads discussing Wembanyama's outings in the EuroLeague. ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported drafting Victor Wembanyama might add as much as $500M to the value of the NBA franchise. NBA people flooding the EuroLeague cities every week. With Chris Paul and Devin Booker sitting at courtside to witness Wembanyama's greatness?

(CNN) — At just 18 years old, Victor Wembanyama already looks like a future superstar of the NBA. The seven-foot-four French teenager has wowed the US this ...

With an 8-foot (2.42-meter) wingspan and the smooth shooting touch of a point guard despite his towering frame, French prodigy Victor Wembanyama...

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Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Rudy Gobert had high praises for 18-year-old Victor Wembanyama.

Because it's going to be difficult to improve every day and stay consistent," the French big man spoke with the ESPN crew. I have known him since he was 13 and we knew he was going to be unique. "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. Gobert has been following his compatriot since he was 13, and the new Timberwolves signing is excited about the future possibility to form a frontcourt duo with the 18-year-old Victor. It's great to watch," Curry described the No. He is very mature, he knows where he wants to go. "He's like the [NBA] 2K create-a-player, every point guard that wants to be 7-foot. "The league's really in trouble when he comes in. We are lucky to have such talent, we have never seen a player like Victor. It's inspiring to a lot of people. "Everybody's been a unicorn over the last few years, but he [Wembanyama] is more like an alien. He's going to be really good," Giannis Antetokounmpo finished his compliments for Wembanyama.

Victor Wembanyama Called "2K Create-A-Player" After Stunning Las Vegas Exhibition: The 7-footer is projected to be the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

[ LeBron James](https://hypebeast.com/tags/LeBron-James) who was there to watch Wembanyama in person. “I mean at 7’4 or 7’5 or 7’3, or whatever the case might be. “Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien. Wembanyama is currently projected to come first in the 2023 NBA draft and many including Standing 7’3 without shoes, Wembanyama is the same height as Boban Marjanovic and [Kristaps Porzingis](https://hypebeast.com/tags/Kristaps-Porzingis) who are the two tallest players currently set to appear this upcoming season. Wembanyama, who currently plays for the French professional basketball club Metropolitan 92, averaged a stat line of 36.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks in the two games, showing his prowess on both ends of the floor.

LeBron James called him an alien. Everyone else is already calling him next year's no. 1 pick. Just how good can the silky 7-foot-4 star be?

The nature of the game today only amplifies the pressure on Wembanyama, given the obligations for a big to switch on the perimeter, defend every corner of the court, and handle the ball from the outside. Wembanyama plays a lot on the perimeter, but even with his slender 220-pound frame he boxes out for rebounds and absorbs contact in the paint. I asked a handful of executives what the risk really was for Wembanyama to play. He said a ton of friends and family texted him about it and his reaction was merely, “It’s cool.” There’s a maturity to the way the French star thinks and approaches both basketball and life. He already has a concerning injury history, including a fibula stress fracture, a scapula contusion, and an issue affecting the psoas muscle in his back. NBA teams view his family as a strong support system that will help him adjust to life in the NBA—and the inevitable fame that comes with it . Most execs around the league are confident in Wembanyama’s ability to become a reliable shooter because of his rate of progress and the work ethic he’s displayed so far. And sometimes, he’ll use that flexibility in a game to catch a body. I sat two rows back from the court and it didn’t take long for Wembanyama to make it clear he is the best prospect in the 2023 class, and the best prospect I have scouted in my He battled bouts of streakiness and shot 31 percent from 3 and 68.5 percent from the line in recent seasons overseas. Wembanyama is the first to admit it’s way too soon to anoint him as anything, but the Vegas showcase was organized in large part to display his talents on a worldwide stage. He stands at a towering 7-foot-4 and doesn’t even need to leave his feet to alter shots because he can stretch his 8-foot wingspan to swat away jumpers or poke the ball away from would-be attackers.

The projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft shined bright in two showcase games against Scoot Henderson and G League Ignite.

The comparisons have been all over the place, and we’re all struggling to find them. I didn’t play a game in the NBA yet, I didn’t get drafted. Eighteen-year-old Victor Wembanyama is not physically here to stay—he’s headed back to France to continue the Pro A season with his club, Metropolitans 92— [but with two dazzling showcase games against G League Ignite](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/05/victor-wembanyama-scoot-henderson-2023-nba-draft-g-league-ignite-metropolitans-92) (and [top U.S.-born prospect Scoot Henderson](https://www.si.com/nba/2021/11/18/scoot-henderson-g-league-ignite-daily-cover)), Wembanyama has arrived for good. There were many of them: Wembanyama’s presence in Vegas also overlapped with a pair of Lakers preseason contests against the Suns and Timberwolves. There’s a sense of wonderment that comes with watching him play—and how much he seemed to be enjoying himself—which makes it tough for even the most impartial of observers to keep a stiff lip. His defensive impact was easy to understand on film, but he shoots the ball even better than you might expect, and his overall comfort level handling it is something that has to be witnessed to fully comprehend. And as I understand it, that message is coming straight from the source: Victor himself is far too competitive to entertain the idea of sitting out games when healthy. Many franchises (I won't name names, but most of them are preparing for losing seasons) flew in large chunks of their front offices to watch him practice and play. [Wembanyama Week festivities](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/05/victor-wembanyama-scoot-henderson-2023-nba-draft-g-league-ignite-metropolitans-92) have come to a close here amongst the neon signs and freeways, but the story itself is very much beginning. While Henderson (who is officially day-to-day with a bone bruise) has been naturally cast as Wembanyama’s presumptive foil as a candidate for the No. Wembanyama is very arguably the most skilled basketball-playing teenager on earth, while he’s listed at 7’ 2”, tells reporters he’s 7’ 3”, and, to some speculative observers, may be taller than that. Thursday’s tilt tipped at noon local time and unsurprisingly lacked the same energy, compounded by the fact Henderson played just four minutes before knocking knees with Wembanyama on a switch, getting the worst of it, and sitting the rest of the game as a precaution.