The 7ft 4in tall French sensation, Victor Wembanyama, has the best odds to be the number 1 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. With the San Antonio Spurs having the rights to the 1st pick, the Draft day is nothing but a formality for us to see the 19-year-old get picked for the Spurs. And while he will make just $11,000,000 in his first year and have all the attention in the world, being the greatest prospect since LeBron James might just be the biggest expectation he would have to fulfill.
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We have been witnessing Zion Williamson going through it. The Pelicans All-Star is not the first 1st pick in these 20 years (since LeBron’s draft) who is finding it difficult to take overcome the expectations. From Andrew Bogut, Greg Oden, and a few others in the 2000s, to Anthony Bennett, and Markelle Fultz in the 2010s, there have been many who didn’t even become an All-Star.
However, even double-digit All-Star and All-NBA selections wouldn’t be enough for Wembanyama to do justice to his hype if he fails to win multiple championships and MVPs in his career. But it looks like he isn’t fazed by it.
LeBron James comparisons have no effect on Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama recently made an appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast and talked about the expectations people have from him even before playing one NBA game. He looked calm and confident about what he is bringing to the league.
“When someone says that you’re the best prospect in a generation, ‘the best prospect since LeBron’. I believe one of my colleagues called you the best prospect ever in Team Sports. Does that just go in one ear and out the other? No pressure for that?” Redick asked Wembanyama on The Old Man and The Three podcast.
To his surprise, the 19-year-old said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah true. No pressure for that. It’s not like a reward when they say that, you know?”
The confidence this young guy has developed after dominating a top-tier league of grown men in France looks nothing short of Luka Doncic. It’s just been a few years since he came from Spain and took over the NBA by storm.
Compared to the Slovenian after the 2018 Draft the difference is, the bar set for Wembanyama is too high already. Let’s hope he dictates this confidence of his and not let it dictate him.
We might get our first glimpse of Wembanyama playing in the NBA in the Summer League
We generally see the rookies try their hands on the NBA courts in the Summer League before they actually play against the top talent in the world.
However, with FIBA World Cup nearing, and Wembanyama declaring his intentions to represent the French national team in it, there were reports of him missing out on the Summer League.
But he put those speculations to bed after Game 3 of the LNB Pro Finals series between Metropolitans 92 and Monaco.
If indeed the LNB Pro MVP will play “a little”, don’t be surprised if this year’s summer league might break the all-time viewership record.
