LeBron James is widely considered as one of the greatest basketball stars of all time. His extensive array of skills on the floor makes him a formidable player against opposing NBA teams, while his massive brand off the court cements his coveted status as a household figure in the hearts of fans. Recently, James has been likened to Victor Wembanyama , the San Antonio Spurs prodigy, by a former NBA player.
Wemby, as he is popularly called, was one of the breakout stars in the NBA last season. He was taken first overall in the 2023 NBA draft by the Spurs and is widely recognized as among the top players of his generation in the league.
The comparison of James to Wemby was made by former Spurs basketball player Tony Parker, when speaking in a recent interview with Yahoo Sports.
Victor is fantastic, like his head and his mental side. There is nothing I can tell him. He’s ready… And he’s not concerned by the pressure or the expectations… he’s a little bit like LeBron. You know, the only one I can equate with so much expectations before your arrival is LeBron James. I think he’s the only one who you can properly compare. Tony Parker said
Parker says that Victor Wembanyama is in many ways like LeBron James, who earned tremendous anticipation before getting picked into the NBA by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Back then, LeBron was the most anticipated player to come out of high school. Basketball legends like Shaquille O’Neal were even being asked by media about LeBron’s performance while he was still a junior in high school.
LeBron appreciates Wembanyama’s talent by calling him the ‘Alien’
A lot of attention and enthusiasm has also been poured at Wembanyama pre-NBA before his eventual draft by San Antonio Spurs last year. However, to further establish the 20-year-old’s fast-rising reputation in pro basketball, LeBron James took it upon himself to shower accolades on the youngster.
In a Sports Illustrated profile published February 2023, the Lakers veteran branded the Spurs prodigy a “Alien”. The NBA icon bestowed tremendous admiration on the youngster.
We’re labeling like this unicorn thing, everybody’s been a unicorn over the previous five years. But he’s more like an alien—no one has seen anybody as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor. LeBron James on Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama has evolved more as a pro player throughout the last season and his improvement may be seen on show at the Paris Olympics, where he is part of the French basketball team.
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