The New York Knicks were up against the San Antonio Spurs for a matchup today, where the game went into overtime, and saw big plays from both teams. One highlight reel that has been consistent for the Spurs is their number-one overall pick, Victor Wembanyama. But this Knicks legend’s comparison of a rookie to some of the biggest legends in the game of basketball might’ve been a tad too early.
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The San Antonio Spurs hosted the New York Knicks and gave them a run for their money. Victor Wembanyama balled out, putting up big numbers against the fourth-seeded Knicks squad.
Joining the Knicks broadcast was former legend Clyde Fraizer. During the game, Frazier drew comparisons between Victor Wembanyama to three NBA legends and Hall of Famers as well as one of the biggest names in recent NBA history.
“This is my assessment of Wemby. He has the offensive prowess of Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) and Wilt (Chamberlain), the defensive tenacity of Bill Russell, and the sagacity and versatility of LeBron (James).”
Even before coming into the league, fans knew that Victor Wembanyama would be special. Current and former NBA players too had high praises for a kid currently playing in France and making highlights.
Since coming into the league, Victor Wembanyama has been a force to be reckoned with. Despite being in the first year in the league, Wemby is already leading the league in blocks. He has already put up numbers never before seen in the NBA.
But to draw comparisons to some of the basketball greats might’ve been a tad too much, only because we have barely seen Wembanyama scratch the surface of his potential. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the league in scoring up until last year and Wilt Chamberlain still holds the record for most points in the game.
Now whether Wemby could surpass either of those two is too early to tell but he may be on that track definitely. As for his defensive tenacity, it could be argued that leading the league in blocks right from the get-go is a good start to be compared to the great Bill Russell. However, Celtics fans may not want to agree to that.
As for Fraizer drawing comparisons between Victor and LeBron James, now that is a bit far-fetched. Not because Wemby is short on talent but mainly because of the two different positions these two players are at on the floor.
LeBron James gives his two cents on Victor Wembanyama
Clyde Fraizer may have just been trying to hype up Victor Wembanyama but may have gone a bit too far with the comparisons a little too early in his career. No doubt Wemby is a generational talent but to compare a rookie to four of the greatest players to ever grace the game may not sit well with other fans around the league.
Victor Wembanyama had expressed his love and admiration for the great Wilt chamberlain during this season’s All-Star break. The French national revealed how there were times he’d like to emulate him on the court and not from a statistical point.
LeBron James was already asked to give his two cents on Victor Wembanyama a year before he made it into the league. The King had nothing but praises, claiming Wembanyama was an ‘alien’ in terms of being one of his kind. But after going head-to-head with the 7’4 rookie, James got to experience playing against him for the first time.
“He doesn’t have a ceiling. He can do whatever he wants to do in his career. It seems like he enjoys the game. It seems like he puts the work in, just from the outside looking in…I said a long time ago how special he was, and it’s really that simple.”
Wembanyama received a ton of praise from someone who has dominated the league for the past 20 years. And coming back to Fraizer’s comments, there is a chance that Victor might go on to surpass a few of the legends he was compared to. But it may have been a little premature to burden the young rookie with such high expectations when he’s just settling into the league.
