Subscribe
Follow Us
Very few rookies have been able to enter the NBA and immediately become superstars. Players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant stole the spotlight as superstar talents early on in their careers, and Victor Wembanyama is following in their footsteps. The San Antonio Spurs have a generational talent the league has never seen leading the charge, and Wemby put together a very historic rookie campaign.
The 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year was the first player in league history to have at least 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks, and 100 three-pointers in a season. Among several other accomplishments, records, and achievements, Wembanyama has staked his claim as being one of the best players in the NBA at only 20 years old.
Ahead of Year 2 with the Spurs, Wembanyama is eager to continue building his legacy. At the same time, he's had a chance to reflect on what being in the NBA has been like, especially now that Wembanyama has met several stars that he looked up to through the years. While he still holds high respect for some players, these feelings are not shared with all of the players the Spurs' star used to like.
“In both a good and bad way, it’s how truly like the best of the game are,” Wembanyama told Sports Illustrated recently when asked about what surprised him during his rookie year. “In a good way, some of them are really impressive and inspiring in the way they approach the game every night. But others that I used to like, now it’s like I’m just not sure they deserve it. Like they don’t seem like they put as much work in as I thought.”
Victor Wembanyama praises NBA legend
While Wembanyama came down hard on players he doesn't respect anymore, of course not naming any names, he did make it clear that he still respects a lot of players.
There are so many All-Star talents around the NBA, and the Spurs' youngster has learned a lot from some of these players. Heading into the 2024-25 season, Wembanyama is set to learn from future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, who is his team's newest addition. Outside of those on his team, Wemby continues to learn from the work ethic and character of other stars, one of which is Kevin Durant.
“There are active players I admire. As I said, some of the guys, you know, just kind of… you know, some of the guys I’ve been watching growing up, I’m not disappointed, but I’m like, like that’s it? But some of them, talking like KD [Kevin Durant], you know?” Wemby continued. “Of course, I get to know Rudy Gobert even more with the national team. I know their work ethic, I know how they view the game, and it’s really inspiring, and I want to do the same as them.
“Yeah, there are definitely players I admire, especially KD because now I've seen the behind the scenes. I know it's for real, you know?”
Wembanyama and Durant went head-to-head this offseason when Team France took on Team USA in the gold medal game of the summer Olympics. Simply putting his country in a position to contend against the best of the best was a huge accomplishment for Wembanyama, which is why there is a good chance that he will see the Americans in the gold medal game again in the future.
Not every star in the NBA is going to get along with one another, and it seems like Wembanyama is starting to get a small taste of this. After all, not everybody is who they appear to be, and after going against some of the best that he used to hold on a pedestal, Wembanyama has realized that not every star in the league is deserving of their status.
