San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama has quickly taken the NBA by storm. He was the talk of the offseason as the most talked about prospect since LeBron James entered the 2003 NBA Draft out of high school. Thus far, Wembanyama has done nothing to slow down those talks.
While he has had some ups and downs in the early going, namely with foul trouble and turnovers, he still got off to a historic start. He is only the second player, along with Shaquille O’Neal in 1992, to have 100+ points and 10+ blocks in the first five games of their NBA career.
Things hit a fever pitch on Thursday night when Wembanyama had his first signature performance. In a 132-121 victory over the Phoenix Suns, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick scored 38 points to go along with 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks. The 38 points that he scored is tied for the third most in Spurs franchise history, as David Robinson is the only player to score more as a rookie.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Victor Wembanyama, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, San Antonio Spurs Updates
He shot 15-of-26 from the field overall, going 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 5-of-6 from the foul line. Even Kevin Durant, who stands nearly 7 feet tall himself, was not a match for Wembanyama, who was shooting over all his opponents with ease.
Only scratching the surface of his potential at 19 years old, the sky is the limit for Wembanyama, who is off to a great start. There have been some bold claims about him early in his NBA career, but Rachel Nichols could have the boldest.
During a segment on UNDISPUTED on FS1, Nichols made a bold claim about just how good Wembanayma can be. She believes he has a higher ceiling than some of the greatest centers to ever play in the NBA and will put an end to the GOAT debate.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Victor Wembanyama, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, San Antonio Spurs Updates
“Victor Wembanyama’s ceiling is higher than David Robinson, Shaq and LeBron’s. He can render that LeBron-MJ argument,” Nichols said.
That is certainly a bold take by Nichols, but she is more than likely not the only person already thinking that far ahead. If he can stay healthy, Wembanyama is going to set all sorts of records as a player with his combination of size and skill has never been seen before.
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