Victor Wembanyama finally fulfilled his destiny as he was officially selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.
All year, Wembanyama was touted as the next generational prospect and the best one since Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James entered the league in 2003. The hype surrounding the French center is palpable and fans are eager to see him on the court when Summer League begins.
Wembanyama is an impressive young man off the court as well, handling multiple interviews before and after the draft and displaying a sense of self-awareness and general basketball knowledge. In a fun hypothetical, Wembanyama was asked who would make up his starting five if the planet was in danger and he listed James and Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal as two of the players, via For The Win:
We asked prospects at the 2023 NBA Draft to name a starting five that could save the planet. 🏀 They were allowed to pick themselves.
Here is what San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama told us. pic.twitter.com/OXBJjrlq2E— For The Win (@ForTheWin) June 23, 2023
A starting five of Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, James, Tim Duncan and O’Neal definitely looks imposing on paper and would stack up nicely against any other lineup in NBA history. James could serve as the nominal point guard and distribute to the rest of the lineup, his natural playing style and probably preference.
Wembanyama’s inclusion of James is another example of him showing the King his respect and due as he previously said the Lakers star was the player he was looking forward to playing the most. The two will be linked forever due to their draft status, though the rookie has a ways to go to catch up to James.
Fans will surely take exception with their favorite players being left off, but these questions are just for fun and shouldn’t be taken so seriously. Wembanyama didn’t even include himself and explained that he hasn’t proved anything yet which is another sign of his maturity and understanding of where he’s at big picture wise.
Magic Johnson believes world has never seen player like Victor Wembanyama
What makes Wembanyama so tantalizing as a prospect is his blend of perimeter skills coupled with his defensive prowess at his size. The NBA has trended toward more skilled big men, and Wembanyama checks all the boxes and then some.
Magic Johnson has been around for a long time and has watched numerous great players, but he believes the world hasn’t seen someone like Wembanyama yet.
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