When Magic Johnson joined the NBA after being the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979, he immediately became one of the league’s top players and biggest stars. In 2023, another player is expected to do the same when he becomes the first overall pick in this year’s draft, and that man is Victor Wembanyama.
At 7-foot-3 and with a skillset unlike anything that has been seen in the league, many view Wembanyama as a generational talent who will change the fortunes of whichever team drafts him. Current and past NBA stars have all been impressed with the French big man and Johnson recently got to meet him in person.
The Lakers legend took to social media to post a picture of him with the expected 2023 top overall pick, calling him the best player in the world:
I had the chance to meet and talk to the best player in the world and this year's number one pick in the NBA draft Victor Wembanyama! pic.twitter.com/2KT4NCFVrE
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 20, 2023
This is likely a simple case of Magic getting his words mixed up as he has been known to do at times on social media. Wembanyama is undoubtedly an extremely talented prospect and could turn out to be the next big star in the NBA, but he certainly isn’t the best player in the world as of now.
Nonetheless, it says a lot that so many are going out of their way to see the big man in person and meet him before he has ever stepped foot on an NBA floor. And for the most part, Wembanyama has impressed everyone who has taken a look at him.
So far this season with his French club Metropolitans, he is averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game. But what really makes him such a treasured prospect is his skillset with his size. He can handle the ball like a guard and has a great shooting stroke well beyond 3-point range. It won’t be long before Johnson and everyone else will be seeing Wembanyama on NBA courts every night.
Lakers’ Anthony Davis could return within a week?
Of course the Lakers have their own game-changing big man in Anthony Davis, who is working his way back from injury. It was recently reported that he is targeting an early February return, but he could be back sooner than that.
A recent report said that Davis could be looking to return as early as late next week during the Lakers’ five-game road trip, perhaps against the hated rival, the Boston Celtics. No doubt that Johnson would like that.
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