Seven games into his career and Victor Wembanyama is already earning comparisons to NBA legends — including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to one Los Angeles Lakers legend. Former member of the Showtime Lakers and 5x NBA champion Michael Cooper found similarities between the San Antonio Spurs rookie and his former teammate, Abdul-Jabbar.
“Young man is so long, he would be a player that I could not guard,” Cooper told Trill Withers. “There was only one unstoppable shot in the NBA. That was the sky hook. The Houston Rockets tried to double and triple team Kareem and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] was always gonna get that shot off if he wanted to. But if you double and triple team, Kareem was always looking for that open player. [Wemby] for me is in that category. He has an unstoppable shot … The young man has a jump shot. Who's gonna get up there and block his jumper? Nobody,” via NBA Legends Lounge.
Lakers legend Michael Cooper on Victor Wembanyama đź—Ł
"He would be a player that I could not guard… Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] was always gonna get that shot off if he wanted to. But if you double and triple team, Kareem was always looking for that open player. [Wemby] for me is in… pic.twitter.com/RETqFPvBvn
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 7, 2023
Michael Cooper's comments should not be taken for granted given he's a former Defensive Player of the Year and played alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for 11 years. At seven-foot-four, Wembanyama's even taller than Abdul-Jabbar, who stood at seven-foot-two.
However, the Indiana Pacers had some success guarding Wembanyama Monday night, holding the Spurs rookie to 13 points, his second-lowest point total of the season. Even more incredible, Pacers power forward Isaiah Jackson somehow managed to block his “unstoppable” shot at the rim during Indiana's 152-111 win.
Through seven games, Victor Wembanyama has averaged 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. Wembanyama and the Spurs take on the New York Knicks next.
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