Ahead of his Victor Wembanyama's second NBA season with the San Antonio Spurs, an NBA legend, Bob Cousy revealed a similarity between Wemby and his former teammate, Bill Russell.
“Tell him he will be the next Bill Russell and let him know that the first Frenchman in NBA history is watching him closely and with great attention,” he shared in a message relayed by SpursReport via Eurohoops.net.
Cousy has a similar path to the United States as Wembanyama. The six-time NBA champion was the only son of French immigrants before moving to New York. As the Boston Celtics drafted him, he joined forces with Russell and would dominate the league. Russell alone won 11 of the Celtics' 18 NBA championships.
It wasn't only the championships that stood out. Russell was a generational center that is forever remembered by fans across the sports world. His ability to protect the basket, score inside, and sheer physicality put the league on notice. Not to mention, Russell competed against Wilt Chamberlain which fueled the NBA's first positional rivalry.
Can Spurs' Victor Wembanyama have a similar trajectory as Bill Russell?
From a statistical standpoint, it's certainly possible. Wembanyama won the Rookie of the Year and averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game. He also made the All-NBA defensive first team as a rookie. The Spurs signed point guard Chris Paul in free agency, giving the French center a true playmaker feeding him the ball. Paul even declared that Wembanyama is ‘good at everything' ahead of the preseason.
Also, Wembanyama is coached by one of the best ever in Gregg Popovich. The Spurs head coach is one of the greatest basketball minds in the sport. Pairing him with Paul can help Wembanyama be in legitimate positions to dominate. Furthermore, he was only a rookie last season. There's still room for improvement with developing his outside shot, physicality and touch.
Russell was an incredible defender but not the best scorer. He didn't need to score as much because of the depth of those Celtics teams. While the Spurs are rebuilding and adding more pieces, Wembanyama will be required to carry more of the offensive responsibilities.
In a league that is evolving the center position, the alien is truly an alien. He can defend the basket and to the perimeter. He can stretch the floor offensively and be a force putting the ball floor. There are many more things that Wembanyama can do as the Spurs will continue their preseason action against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Perhaps people will see the comparisons more and more as the season progresses.