Before Victor Wembanyama had even entered the NBA, he was propped up to be one of the league’s next, best superstars. Given his sheer physical prowess and potential, it’s understandable as to why fans and analysts alike believed the same. However, Gilbert Arenas wants to pump the brakes on this narrative for a single reason.
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“You’ll know when the league is behind him. But, he’s gonna be the face of the league. Problem is, he’s not in the market. Face of the league, you’re not in the market. San Antonio- look what happened to Tim Duncan.”
Gil thinks Wemby can’t be the face of the NBA yet because of the market he’s in…
(: @GilsArenaShow) pic.twitter.com/Nk2AaUErQ1
— Playback (@WatchPlayback) January 11, 2025
Gil isn’t entirely wrong here but he fails to realize that there are exceptions to this. While it does work in one’s favor to be in a big market city like Los Angeles, New York, Boston, or Chicago, smaller cities have also been able to capitalize on acquiring superstars and propping them up to a high standard.
The 2010s were notorious for this. The ‘Big 3’ of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant spent a majority of their careers in cities that don’t exactly scream ‘big market’. Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and Golden State were all home to faces of the league and this didn’t diminish the product in the slightest.
On the flipside, having Michael Jordan in Chicago instead of say, Milwaukee, did help a bit with the visibility of the league. Even Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s dominance was highlighted on a far bigger stage due to the fact that they were in Los Angeles.
Wemby’s potential to be the face of the league
Victor Wembanyama is looked at as the next big name to carry the NBA in terms of play and viewership. In merely his sophomore season, the French big-man is averaging 25.1 points and 10.8 rebounds a night. He’s blocking an absurd 4 shots per game and also shooting over 35% from beyond the arc.
Combine Wembanyama’s obvious basketball skills along with his marketability and Adam Silver certainly has a decision to make in the coming years regarding how to market him for the next two decades. San Antonio, while it is a smaller market, it’s been on the map for quite some time now due to Tim Duncan’s reign over the West.
Of course, Duncan was never seen as the definitive ‘face of the league’ as he played at the same time as Kobe, LeBron, and Shaq. Wemby has the opportunity to surpass Duncan and if he does it in San Antonio, would be revered by the entire city, if not the whole nation.
