The NBA’s next big thing is here. Dubbed by many to be the greatest prospect ever, Victor Wembanyama has been drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 1st pick of the 2023 Draft. Having dominated the French LNB Pro A league, the 19-year-old phenom is expected to put an end to the GOAT debate by ranking above Michael Jordan and LeBron James after his retirement. Despite the hype surrounding him, Wembanyama has displayed humility throughout the draft process. However, the unicorn wasn’t humble when asked about a result of a hypothetical 1v1 matchup against a 60-year-old Jordan.
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Despite being widely regarded as the best prospect since LeBron, Wemby has a lot of expectations on his shoulders. Even though the LNB Pro A Most Valuable Player is already expected to have a Hall-Of-Fame career, his calmness and confidence are at an all-time peak.
In an appearance on the latest, must-see episode of JJ Redick’s “The Old Man and The Three” podcast, the 7-foot-4 prodigy reveals he is not feeling any pressure by comparisons to the likes of King James.
For now though, the most significant shot he has thrown has most certainly been in the direction of Michael Jordan.
Victor Wembanyama doesn’t believe that a 60-year-old Michael Jordan stands a chance in a 1v1 battle
While fans have been comparing Wembanyama’s greatness to the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, and LeBron, among others, he was asked a pretty interesting, hypothetical question on Draft Night. Brad Parker of The Score asked the teenager about the result of a 1v1 battle between a 60-year-old MJ and him.
“Victor, who wins a 1v1 right now? You at your age or Michael Jordan at age 60.”
Being asked the question, Victor seemed to have taken slight offense at first. After agreeing that the Bulls legend was the GOAT, the French big man stated that no 60-year-old was defeating any of the players from the 2023 Draft Class.
“Woah, come on, man. Respect me a little bit.”
“He’s the GOAT though.”
“Yeah, but at age 60, I don’t know any 60-year-old in the world who can beat anyone in here.”
Could Victor beat Michael Jordan at age 60? It’s safe to assume, yes. However, the more interesting question to ask would’ve been about a clash between Wemby and MJ at age 19.
According to Sonny Vaccaro, Wembanyama is worth a “blank check”
Numerous reports have suggested that Victor Wembanyama can help boost the net worth of a franchise by as much as $500 million. Expected to be a huge asset, several brands have their eyes set on the youngster. While he’s already signed to a multi-year deal with Nike, the man credited for signing Michael Jordan to Nike believes that the French teenager is worth a”blank check”. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Sonny Vaccaro further explained.
“My answer to the world today…the Sonny Vaccaro answer. They’re (Wembanyama and Co.) gonna go in and say, “Okay! We want our shoe…we’re taking this percentage…we’re telling you what we want.” Someone’s going to give it to him! There’s no question in my mind. He’s worth a blank check!”
If Wemby manages to live up to the surreal expectations, he’ll be worth every penny.
