Sometimes it doesn’t take much to know a player will be special. Ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, it was a foregone conclusion that Victor Wembanyama would be great, though some people reserved their judgment until they saw him on an NBA court. Tyrese Maxey realized quickly that Wemby was cut from a different cloth.
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Before the majority of the population became familiar with Wembanyama’s talent, Maxey was aware of the Frenchman skill set. The two shared the same trainer, Tim Martin. In 2022, the eventual San Antonio Spurs star did something Maxey had never seen before.
“I knew he was going to be really good because he walks up to Tim and is like, ‘I want to play Tyrese 1-on-1,'” Maxey said when recalling the encounter to reporters. “I’m like, ‘Huh? You ain’t even stretched or nothing yet.'”
Maxey wasn’t going to back down from the request. But it was Wemby’s second request that genuinely shocked the Philadelphia 76ers star.
“He said, ‘I wanna play 1-on-1, but I want to on all the time defense,” Maxey said. “I’ve never heard a player say that.”
Maxey quickly brushed off his shock and began to play against Wemby. Typically, Maxey utilizes his speed and craftiness to overcome mismatches against taller players. Wemby dispelled most of his moves with his tremendous length and stellar recovery speed. One play in particular left a lasting impression on Maxey.
“I do the same moves I always do. I get to the paint and come to my right-hand layup, and he grabs my layup off the glass,” Maxey revealed.
At that moment, Maxey knew Wemby would be special, and he proved the one-time All-Star to be right in just his first season. Wembanyama had an amazing rookie campaign, leading the league in blocks at 3.6 per game, while finishing as the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
This past season, Wemby was by far the runaway favorite to win the award until he suffered a season-ending blood clot. We may be witnessing the birth of one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. Hopefully, he’ll have a healthy season, and we’ll fully experience what Wembanyama is capable of.
There’s no predicting what Wemby’s ceiling will be or if he even has one. The Spurs haven’t been to the postseason since 2019. Wemby looks to end their six-year drought in the 2025-26 season.
