The hype that Victor Wembanyama brought this season was last seen for a rookie when LeBron James was entering the league. However, the 2003-04 Cleveland Cavaliers with LBJ recorded 35-47, whereas, Wemby and his Spurs have put 11-47 thus far. Because of that, veterans like Lou Williams were initially in denial about whether the San Antonio Spurs Center would take home the coveted Rookie of the Year trophy. However, recently, Williams backtracked on his previous statement.
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On the recent episode of ‘Run It Back’, the 37-year-old said,
“I’ll go out on a limb and I’ll be the first to say it, I think Chandler and I were wrong, I think this is our rookie of the year”.
His previous pick for the award was Chet Holmgren because his contributions are helping the Oklahoma City Thunder win games. Further, the Minnesota-born is the second-best player on a team that is placed second in the stacked WC. However, Wemby is averaging 20.7 PPG, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, even though, these numbers are not helping the Spurs.
“I’ll be the first to say it, I think Chandler and I were wrong, I think this is our rookie of the year. [Victor Wembanyama] is the real deal, he’s a real unicorn, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the runaway rookie of the year.”@TeamLou23 thinks Wemby could be our ROTY … pic.twitter.com/ACAh1QQZea
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 26, 2024
While the Spurs continue to struggle with their stats, the NBA veteran is no longer going to hold it against Wembanyama. He said, “They’re falling short. They’re inexperienced basketball team, but he’s doing everything he can from the offensive end to the defensive end to some of the plays that we have never seen before… I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the runaway rookie of the year.”
Williams applauded the 20-year-old for his attempts to elevate the standard for the Spurs. He believes that Wemby is doing everything in his control to take his team out of the slump. No doubt, even with a lack of experience in the team, Wemby is putting up numbers that define his greatness. With time, he will evolve and shine, maybe, even at the level of the King himself, and it’s even visible in his attitude toward winning games.
Victor Wembanyama is focussed on winning games
Wembanyama had a record-breaking night against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 23rd. The 20-year-old became the youngest ever to get a 5×5 game in the shortest period. Wembanyama’s 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals, and 5 blocks came in just under 31 minutes of play time.
Playing against some of the most established stars of the league, Wemby does not seem to be slowing down. And the respect that he gives to his team and the players around him shows his vision. While this would’ve been a night to remember for most rookies, Wemby wasn’t satisfied with the performance because his team lost that game. He said,
“To me, it’s secondary. Hopefully in the future we can look back and see this as a good performance, but as of today, I can’t be satisfied in a loss”.
.@wemby & @KingJames pic.twitter.com/lfz75ZaDEo
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 24, 2024
The rookie also received praise from LeBron James, in the post-game presser, for his performance. The King said, “He doesn’t have a ceiling. He can do whatever he wants to do in his career”. Despite being applauded by greats for individual performances, Wembanyama has his eyes set on the team’s achievements. For a talented youngster like him, that’s the best mentality to go with.
