Kevin Garnett, recently on his show KG Certified, showcased his awe for 7’4” Victor Wembanyama’s Shammgod move against Rudy Gobert. During a January 27 fixture between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wemby put former DPOY Gobert on skates through his ball-handling skills.
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During a play, the exhilarating Spurs Center received the ball from Tre Jones and began his move around the three-point line. Then around the mid-range, Wemby faked a dribble to the left with his left hand and in a breathtaking sequence, switched the ball to his right hand after faking Gobert out of his shoes. By the time Gobert recovered, his French compatriots made a lay-up that was akin to a walk in the park for the player with a massive wing span. Despite being a 7+ foot player, he pulled off a move that even elite guards can struggle to perform.
On KG Certified, while reviewing the highlights of the week, Garnett revisited the move and called it a “brainfu**”. He compared Wembanyama’s mechanics similar to the ones performed in NBA 2k games. Garnett envisioned the move on a joystick while playing 2k. He played out, “Right stick with the left stick, he got Turbo Action, man. Like, he he[Wembanyama] got some 2k sh** man.”
Studying the play on his Tablet, the 2004 MVP noted how at the beginning of the play, Wemby acquired perfect spacing. Then while witnessing the Shammgod move, Garnett was filled with boundless excitement, and let out a series of “Ahhhhh!” Garnett observed that Wembanyama could have even made a dunk instead of a finesse lay-up. The former Celtics forward replayed the move from a different angle and was even more excited after watching the Shammgod, once again letting out a series of “Ahhhh!” Garnett then recalled his initial feeling that Wembanyama could have stuffed a jam over Gobert’s head.
“Bro, I[Garnett] really felt he[Wembanyama] could’ve put this on his[Gobert] motherfu**ing head if he wanted to,” Garnett remarked.
Later in his reaction, KG predicted that Wembanyama was soon going to use that move and posterize someone in the process. On a scale of 1 to 10, KG rated Wemby’s Shammgod 25 out of 10, implying that he considers it one of the best if not the best plays he has ever seen. Garnett also highlighted how even some guards can’t perform this maneuver. KG has been raving about Wemby for a long time now and this move vindicated his expectations of him.
Kevin Garnett has backed the Victor Wembanyama Hype Train
In early November 2023, Garnett compared Wemby to two of the best big men in the history of basketball, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. He likened the rookie all-star’s aura to Robinson and Duncan who also wreaked havoc on the league as Spurs rookies. On his show ‘The Truth and The Ticket’, he expressed, “When you saw David Robinson the first time, you saw it. You didn’t know what you were looking for, but you saw it,” said Garnett. “And then you saw Tim Duncan, same. [Wembanyama] has the ‘it factor.’ He’s a top-tier scorer, he got it to where he can lead a team.”
It’s not just retired players who are seeing the “It Factor”, Wemby’s peers also rave about his abilities. New Orleans Pelicans Forward Zion Williamson even predicted the future accolades for the All-Star Center. After a 114-113 win against Wembanyama and the Spurs, Williamson called the Spurs Center “a very special player“. Zion forecasted, “He’s[Wembanyama] a dude that can get two or three Defensive Player of the Years. I don’t want to put no label on it, but he can get Defensive Player of the Years and MVPs.”
Williamson also touched upon the tutelage of veteran genius coach Gregg Popovich who knows how to mould superstar players. Wembanyama has not only lived up to the hype but has built loftier expectations among his peers.
