San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been arguably the most hyped rookie since LeBron James in 2003. What’s more is that the French phenom, quite like LeBron, did not fail to deliver in his first year in the league. He dazzled fans, peers, and analysts alike with his crazy skills on the floor, especially on the defensive end with his blocking prowess. Wemby finished the season with 254 blocks, 65 more than his closest Rookie of the Year competitor, Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren.
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Wembanyama’s exceptional debut season has helped his brand value blossom and it has grown enough for Nike to give the Spurs star his signature line. The company revealed Wembanyama’s personalized ‘alien’ logo in a viral video on social media.
The reaction to Nike’s reveal was largely positive, with many, including future Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony, praising the company for its stellar work in encapsulating the player’s style with the logo. On the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, Anthony said, while talking about the logo’s design,
“I’m f**king with the Alien logo. Nike, I mean, they are just marketing geniuses over there. They are gonna tell the story of the alien coming down. It’s a good topic. Good narrative with UFOs popping up everywhere and s**t. I mean, it’s a good narrative, good storytelling moment. You can build off with that. He’s alien in a UFO coming from France over here to America. I’m sure that’s probably the story behind it.”
Anthony’s assessment is spot on. Wembanyama’s skillset for a player of his size is unlike anything basketball has ever seen. He’s one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-generation talent, whose abilities can only be described as extraterrestrial. Wembanyama has lived up to every expectation in his rookie year and Nike has done right by him and delivered a unique logo befitting his talent.
Victor Wembanyama is grateful that LeBron James branded him an ‘alien’
Before the San Antonio Spurs drafted Wembanyama, the 7’4″ center was described as a ‘unicorn’ due to his mythical abilities. However, LeBron James rejected the nickname and dubbed the French star an alien. In a post-game interview in 2022, the four-time MVP said,
“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, well he’s more like an alien. I’ve never seen, no one’s ever seen anyone as tall as he is, but it’s fluid and as graceful as on the floor… His ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot step-back jumpers on the post, step-back 3s, catch-and-shoot 3s, block shots. He’s for sure a generational talent.”
James’ description stuck and Wembanyama has since been dubbed an alien, a moniker the Spurs rookie prefers. In an interview with Sports Illustrated in February 2023, the center said,
“First of all, I’m really glad he said that because I didn’t like to be called a unicorn. I like it because it’s just something not from this world. I like being called an alien, yeah. It’s really what I’m working to be—something unique and original.”
Wembanyama’s wish came true as Nike are immortalizing his status as an alien with their logo after a nudge from LeBron James.
