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There are many ways to assess and analyze the possibilities for, and trajectory of, Victor Wembanyama’s burgeoning career. But the most interesting, and perhaps most telling, might be through the lens of the all-time great he plays against Wednesday night: LeBron James.
And not just because the 20-year-old’s massive, eye-popping talent could maybe — stress the maybe here, please — someday put him on track to chase down LeBron’s incredible legacy.
There parallels between Wemby and LeBron that exist in part through their connection as those rare talents who have been hyped as future all-time greats before ever stepping foot on an NBA floor — and then, early on, showcased all the fuss might be about something after all.
LeBron, of course, has long since lived up to the mantra of “The Chosen One” that Sports Illustrated anointed him with when he was still in high school. Wemby has so far to go.
But the early signs are promising — and similar.
They are vastly different players with vastly different skill sets, yes. LeBron is a 6-foot-9 hulk of a man — all muscle and athleticism, seemingly an Avenger who decided to give up his superhero days to win titles and set NBA records.
Wemby is thin, at least 7-foot-3, with an 8-foot wingspan, and he will shoot from anywhere. The Spurs franchise cornerstone has already cemented himself as one of the league’s elite defenders.
But it’s the rarity of their physical gifts, each unicorns in their own way, that has set the stage for the massive, nearly unfair expectations that have been piled upon them. Such hope and scrutiny early in careers tends, inevitably, to shift to the let’s-tear-down-that-kid-we-said-would-be-the-greatest reaction that always, eventually, follows.
Some of that popped up earlier this season for Wemby, when his early shooting woes — and they were woeful — led some smart NBA people to ponder the possibility, great though he was, that he might not be quite the Next Great Thing that had been promised.
Only a couple of weeks ago, this talk bubbled up as, 10 games…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/how-victor-wembanyama-is-mirroring-lebron-james-in-second-season-as-spurs-star-tries-to-meet-generational-hype/
Author : Bill Reiter
Publish date : 2024-11-27 15:37:00
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