San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has taken the NBA by storm by showing off his skills in his first couple of games, and Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham was asked about how the Wemby hype compares to LeBron James when he made his NBA debut back in 2003.

“It's close, but again we're just at the outset,” Darvin Ham said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “The young fella is really, really impressive, what I've seen thus far. And watching him when he was over in France. But for the most part, he has a long way to go. He definitely has the potential, but I mean when you talk about durability, the self-care, the work that's put in, he has the potential I'll say that again, but time will tell.”

LeBron James has obviously lived up to the hype that he had leading up to when he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was an immense amount of pressure, similar to the amount that is on Victor Wembanyama with the Spurs. The early signs is that Wembanyama is the real deal, but like Ham said, only time will tell, and avoiding injuries will be a big part of living up to expectations.

Ham and James' Lakers do not face Wembanyama and the Spurs until December, when they play twice in a row in San Antonio on the 13th and 15th. It will be interesting to see how those games go, and the impression that Wembanyama leaves on Ham, James and the Lakers.