Dec 11, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
There has been much debate about who will be the next NBA star, with players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry nearing the end of their careers. Many believe that the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama will be the next player.
Wembanyama, the top overall pick in the 2023 draft and the most anticipated prospect since LeBron joined the league 20 years ago, has already demonstrated an incredible level of skill in his debut season and appears ready to follow in the footsteps of NBA greats like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal as the next great big man.
Wembanyama’s decision to choose not just a large man but also one who was born long before he was is somewhat unexpected. Some of the most astounding and unsurpassed feats Chamberlain accomplished in the NBA are still unmatched. Additionally, he demonstrated his development when he joined the Lakers later in his career and, by primarily concentrating on defense and rebounding, led the team to its first NBA Championship in 1972.
The unsettling aspect of a Wembanyama-Chamberlain combination is that, considering the French phenomenon’s skill set, it very well may work. Wembanyama’s shooting and ball-handling skills allow him to operate from the perimeter, and Chamberlain’s superior size and strength would allow him to patrol the paint.
Wembanyama and Chamberlain are two of the most gifted players the league has ever seen at their peak, both in terms of size and skill. When the two were combined, they would be nearly unstoppable.
Kobe Bryant’s 81 points in 2005 still stands as the closest anyone has ever gone to match Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points in a game. Metta World Peace, a teammate of Kobe’s on the Lakers, believes Victor Wembanyama will be the one to pull it off.
World Peace asserted recently that Wembanyama is the “closest to Wilt [Chamberlain] that we’ll ever see” and that he will surpass Chamberlain’s record of 100 points within the next few years after developing a rhythm against a weak team.
