Tracy McGrady made headlines again regarding Victor Wembanyama. The former NBA star was in the spotlight as he made a bold NFL comparison while discussing the San Antonio Spurs superstar.
The center has been in a rich vein of form and recently made his feelings clear about why he deserves to win the NBA MVP award. McGrady’s latest comments came amid the team’s thumping 123-98 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Tracy McGrady Compares Victor Wembanyama to Deion Sanders in MVP Debate
Speaking on the “Nightcap” podcast, the former NBA All-Star said Wembanyama deserved to win the NBA MVP and that a snub could cost the league. While he noted that all names in the MVP race this season were worthy of the nod, Wembanyama’s style of play made him a standout choice.
McGrady echoed Wembanyama’s sentiment about defense, noting that his impact on that side of the game made him a clear winner.
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“If Wemby doesn’t win it this year, good luck to all the other players for the next six to seven years,” McGrady said. “Defensively, his floor is better than all of those guys’ ceilings. He’s like Deion on the basketball court. We’ve never seen anybody on the defensive end have that type of impact. I’d say the dude is like Deion Sanders, bro, on the basketball court, being able to shut an entire side down.”
The opinion is compelling since Sanders was known for his elite lockdown defense and his motor. While the comparison was to a player from a different sport, the efforts on the defensive end have been both of these stars’ greatest strengths.
McGrady’s words come as a warning for the league. Earlier, Wembanyama shared the reasons he was awarded the honors. “My first one would be that defense is 50% of the game and that it is undervalued so far in the MVP race. Because I believe I’m the most impactful player defensively in the league,” he said after the Spurs’ win over the Miami Heat.
Wembanyama has been on a tear this season, averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. On Wednesday, he torched the Grizzlies with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and a mammoth seven blocks.
The San Antonio superstar is in a tight race for MVP, which includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, Jaylen Brown, and Nikola Jokić. While each of these names has been instrumental in leading their teams to the postseason, Wembanyama doing it in his third year in the NBA adds another layer to his candidacy.
On the season front, Wembanyama and the Spurs currently sit as the second seed in the Western Conference. They improved to 55-18 after their dominant win against the Grizzlies.
Only time will tell if the center can help San Antonio make a deep postseason run in what will be his first playoff appearance. The playoff berth also breaks a six-season drought for the Spurs.
