‘Wemby’: How the NBA is being altered before our eyes

Some say all good things come in threes, yet for Victor Wembanyama they come in fives, as he became the youngest player ever to log a ‘5×5’ statline in the NBA on Saturday night. The 20 year old recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, alongside 5 steals and blocks apiece. Achieving this feat alone is remarkable; only 15 players have ever notched such a performance – it just reinforces the overwhelming voices that have lauded the Frenchman as the most exciting NBA prospect since LeBron James. Usually it’s the newcomer given the baptism of fire, yet thus far, the world is being shown that it’s Victor’s world, and we’re mere spectators.

‘Wemby’ stands at a freakish height of 7 foot 4 inches. Seven. Foot. Four. It’s the sort of characteristic you apply to your alter-ego basketball player on a video game, to make them as dominant as possible. I mean, just under twenty three Victor Wembanyamas with outstretched arms would reach the length of a football pitch. Yet not only is he very much a reality, but Victor’s qualities go far beyond his height. He’s a never-before-seen archetype of a player with devastating talent, hence why so many predict this basketballing prophet to tyrannise the association over the years to come.

Elite rebounding IQ, a slick handle, a first-class pull-up jumpshot, and an overwhelming presence under the rim – Victor’s got a deep bag of tricks. He’s magic. LeBron James noted the influence of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on player development and how that promises to aid the 2023 number 1 pick to become “better, better, and better”. Popovich has a history of nurturing the young talent of the league’s development into superstars; take David Robinson and Tim Duncan for example. It can only benefit the Frenchman to have an encyclopaedic basketball mind shepherding his every move.

“That kid is SPECIAL!!”

Lebron james (@kingjames via x)

Victor got drafted to San Antonio in the past summer, the Spurs reaping the rewards of their lacklustre 2022-23 campaign. Their star rookie immediately brings noteworthy impact onto the court for his team – the Spurs’ defensive rating with Wembanyama on the floor is 118, yet it balloons to 127 when he takes to the bench. That means the the Texas outfit would theoretically allow 9 points fewer, if Wembanyama were to play the entire game. Many stat junkies hone in on Victor’s lack of average efficiency on scoring the ball, yet turn a blind eye to reality. Only three players have ever averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in their rookie year. Make that four.

So far, it kind of just sounds like a description of an above average basketballing talent, whose abilities are inflated due to the lack of ‘talent’ around him. So what? The ‘what’, in this case, is that he remains just 20. I mean, he still can’t legally purchase alcohol in the USA! Basketball players tend to naturally peak between 27 and 30, and many, such as the aforementioned James, remain in or around that level as late as 39 years old. Wembanyama is looking at a two decade career in the NBA, with potentially one of those in his sporting prime. He is already performing at such a level that he could be playing for a championship ring in one or two years – if he were to follow the trend of European superstars remaining one-franchise-players, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki, and Nikola Jokic – Victor could initiate a commanding dynasty in San Antonio, and this is the problem.

Parity is crucial for every sport in the world; complete domination is generally frowned upon. If his rise can sustain this momentum over the next few years, the idea of parity would certainly be unlikely. Whilst the competitive future of the NBA seems bleak, the French freak of nature is unquestionably a fun watch on the court; even for a non-basketball fan. He’ll make your jaw drop, and your measuring tape come out of the kitchen drawer. Everyone expected him to be good. Perhaps not quite this good, however. And this is the ‘worst’ that he’ll ever be.