Victor Wembanyama is currently the hottest prospect in NBA. He is being compared to the same hype that 18-year-old LeBron James received while he was still in high school. The 7’3″ French Center currently plays in the LNB Pro A league. He is projected to be the first overall pick for the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft. Superstar media personalities Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless disagree on the comparison to LeBron’s hype back in 2003. Sharpe even criticizes a Sports Illustrated article touting Wembanyama as one of the best prospects in the 2023 draft.
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In the latest episode of Undisputed, Shannon Sharpe explains how LeBron lived up to his hype in a generation relying solely on print and television media. He further argues how LeBron could have been a whole different prospect if there had been social media during his time.
Shannon Sharpe’s Michael Jackson comparison and Skip’s response
Bringing out an interesting comparison to Michael Jackson, Sharpe says:
“Because LeBron has been so great as an adult basketball player, we forget what a prodigy and how hyped he was as a child. It’s kinda like Michael Jackson. Because Michael Jackson became so great as Michael Jackson the adult, we forget what he was leading the Jackson 5 at seven or eight years of age. So when you think of Wembanyama, really?”
Shannon Sharpe adds another example of Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s incredible stats as a high-school freshman and during his NCAA career and how he exceeded his initial expectations beyond perceptions in the NBA. While Skip Bayless tends to agree that LeBron’s hype was legitimate, he does not seem to align himself with LeBron exceeding his expectations as a player. Their opinions on Victor Wembanyama, however, remain conflicted.
Skip then responded to the social media hype calling Wembanyama the ‘next LeBron James.’ He explained how television played a crucial role in generating the prospects and popularity for the King, even before he joined the league as a professional. Furthermore, Skip also thinks that James has equaled and not exceeded his hype expectations. He says:
“There was no social media, but there was this thing called television and I got to watch twice LeBron James at St. Vincent and St. Mary. And you can go look it up. I said on national TV, in 2004, starting on Cold Pizza- this is it. He is the chosen one because he is all of the above. I don’t think he’s exceeded, I just think he’s equaled to his hupe. It was unbelievable. Sacramento on opening night, it looked like an All-Star.”
Skip Bayless also compares how LeBron is one of the best passers in basketball, which younger players like Luka Doncic could not emulate. According to Skip, this brings LeBron to the same league as Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd as a once-in-a-generation prodigy. So, in all rights, LeBron James has lived up to his expectations as a prodigy since being drafted.
However, Skip Bayless nor Shannon Sharpe deny that 7’3″ Wembanyama would be a great prospect. Their primary concern is whether he will be able to live up to the hype he has now. This is considering social media tends to exaggerate the highs and lows of such prospects.
How would Victor Wembanyama’s draft benefit San Antonio Spurs?
Spurs’ expected lineup currently prospects Tre Jones as PG, Devin Vassel as SG, Keldon Johnson as SF, Jeremy Sochan as PF, and an incoming Victor Wembanyama as the center. The French prodigy is likely to be a regular name in the starting 5 for the Spurs.
In the past, the San Antonio Spurs have had favorable outcomes with their first-overall draft picks. Particularly in the case of David Robinson and Tim Duncan. There are still uncertainties surrounding Wembanyama’s actual performance once he starts in the NBA. However, there is a high expectation that the 19-year-old will certainly bring some form of success to the Spurs.
