San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has set the bar really high this season with his performances. At 7’5″, the 21-year-old has portrayed himself as a hybrid who could play as a guard, a forward, as well as a center with equal panache and efficiency.
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Wemby moves on the court with such grace that it is art in itself. And he is efficiency personified while grabbing rebounds and sharpest of sharp in finding the bucket from deep. Last week, former NBA champion and analyst Richard Jefferson praised the French star, saying that there hasn’t been any player like him before.
After spending half of last season on the sidelines due to injury, Wemby is now averaging 30 points per game, complemented by 14 rebounds and 5 blocks on average. That performance has MVP written all over it. But what is Wemby’s X factor? Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade has taken notice.
“I love it,” Wade said when asked about Wembenyama’s dominating style of play, before praising him by making historic comparisons.
“I don’t know all the statistics, but I heard this about Wemby… At this point, how many games he’s played in the NBA, he’s had more points than LeBron James at the same time. He has more blocks than Hakeem Olajuwon. He has more assists than Magic. The amount of games he’s played so far, he’s above Mount Rushmore talent,” Wade pointed out.
Wade noted that stats like this do excite people. “When you look at it, you are like, ‘this is the greatest player I have ever seen,” Wade said, further pointing out what puts Wemby in a different league in terms of impact on the court.
“I think one of the most amazing things about Wemby is when he put that ball on the floor, how he’s able to move. I think it’s so impressive. His combinations. ‘Imma hit you with a pop. Oh, you’re reaching here, I can hit behind my back, I can throw it between my legs.’ That’s crazy!” the three-time NBA champion exclaimed, marvelling at Wembanyama’s versatility.
But as impressed as he is by the talent, Wade is more taken by Wemby’s mindset. “Because sometimes we see a lot of guys with talent, but they don’t have the mindset that we think they should have to get to a certain level,” he said.
“This guy seems to have a whole different approach and a different mindset to greatness,” added Wade, comparing his “refreshing approach” to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Steph Curry, among others.
“He wants to spend time with the monks. I ain’t seen anything like that since maybe since Kareen-Abdul Jabbar was doing his yoga and namaste vibes,” Wade continued, before attributing the Spurs star’s success to the young team he has around him.
“I love the confidence those guys have. I love the way they approached and started the season,” added Wade, who now wants them to keep it one step at a time. Needless to say, Wade, like the rest of the NBA, is keen to see how the Spurs progress with a young team and a young coach.
