The collective fascination with Victor Wembanyama centers on his combination of size, sharpness and skills. The game's greatest big men have often featured fantastic footwork with their size, or amazing athleticism for their frame, or supreme skills (shooting, passing) despite their length. However, at 7-foot-3 at least, none have combined the agility, ball handling and shooting touch that Wemby possesses. When the San Antonio Spurs meet the Phoenix Suns, the NBA's top overall draft pick faces the player who might come closest to resembling what his game could evolve into: Kevin Durant.

The Kevin Durant legacy

With a lanky frame listed at 6'10, Kevin Durant is considered one of the best scorers in basketball history. A jumper that's as automatic as it is smooth and long strides that are as effective as they are unique, the four-time scoring champ is often unstoppable. He can get to his favorite spots, and once there, elevate to a point where very few defenders–especially those who play on the wings–can contest. To punctuate his greatness, he can play off the ball as well. His three seasons with the Golden State Warriors saw him average 25.1, 26.4 and 26.0 points per game while sharing the ball with two-time league MVP Stephen Curry and five-time All-Star Klay Thompson.

Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich has witnessed the power of Durant first-hand. On the losing side of five playoff battles between the two (Durant is 4-1 in playoff series against the Silver and Black, including three straight from 2016-2018), Popovich coached the 2021 U.S. Olympic team headlined by the former Texas Longhorn. A roster that included Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal struggled through exhibition play and the early portion of  competition. It was Durant who eventually carried the national team to gold. The leading scorer for this version of an American All-Star team, the 35-year-old forward topped off the world title with a game-high 29 in a victory over France.

Durant a Model for Victor Wembanyama?

Victor Wembanyama didn't play for his native French National Team in 2021. It will almost certainly prove the last time he doesn't represent his country in the Olympics, though in a nod to his rookie commitment to the Spurs, he did skip the FIBA World Cup this past summer. When the projected generational talent does go for gold, it's a smart bet he'll have the impact, if not a greater one, that Durant did. In between, it stands to reason that Wemby could alter the NBA landscape.

“He’s going to be good. Once he figures out where he's going to be getting his shots and reading defenses, I think he's going to be good,” Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said of Wemby.

That's high praise from the often restrained Leonard, whose Clippers just routed his former team.

The game's best players see what the rest of us do: size and fluidity, a shooting stroke and a passing touch, a decent handle and length at the rim, an offensive marvel and a nightmare on the defensive end. In short, it's a skill set that includes many of Durant's best traits. And then some. Now put that package into a 7-foot-3 frame. It's reason for hype and we get a first glimpse in Phoenix.