The NBA playoffs are a very different game than the regular season and oftentimes young players struggle under the pressure with the brighter lights and increased physicality. That’s why it is very rare to see a player such as San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama lead a team to the NBA Finals at just 22 years old.
In fact, Wembanyama joined Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and current superstar LeBron James as the only players this century to lead their team in scoring going into the Finals at 22 years of age or younger, via NBA on X:
KOBE. LEBRON. WEMBY.
Victor Wembanyama joins Kobe Bryant in 2001 and LeBron James in 2007 as the only players this century to lead their team in scoring entering the Finals at 22 or younger 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pPQsMZ0bmY
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2026
Any time a player finds themself on a list that features legends of the game like Bryant and James it means they are doing something right. And there is no doubt that Wembanyama is already on the path to being an all-time great if he can keep up this level of play. Leading the Spurs over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on the road in a Game 7 was something very few believed he was capable of.
James’ run in 2007 to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Finals is widely remembered for his unreal performance in Game 5 of that series. On the road in a 2-2 series, James would score his team’s final 25 points, finishing with 48 to take down the heavily favored Detroit Pistons, and would then finish the series in six games.
Bryant being on this list likely comes as a surprise to many as there is a belief that he just played second-fiddle to Shaquille O’Neal during the Lakers’ three-peat run. And the fact that it was 2001, the team widely considered one of the best ever that swept through the West, only further shows just how good Bryant was at such a young age.
Coincidentally, the Spurs are involved in all of these runs as Bryant and the Lakers swept them in the 2001 Western Conference Finals while James’ Cavaliers were swept by San Antonio in the 2007 NBA Finals. Now, all eyes will be on Wembanyama to see if he can finish the job and plant his flag that he has fully arrived to take over the NBA.
Chris Paul reveals he spoke with Kobe Bryant prior to vetoed Lakers trade
Chris Paul nearly became a member of the Lakers back in 2011 where he would’ve teamed with Bryant, but that trade was infamously vetoed by the NBA. And Paul recently revealed that he actually talked to Bryant prior to the trade not going through.
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