LeBron James has watched the NBA evolve through multiple eras, from his Miami “Big Three” days to today’s depth-focused rosters. But when asked about the future of roster construction, his answer was surprisingly straightforward: find someone like Victor Wembanyama. And according to James, that towering task just became even more impossible.
How Does LeBron James See Victor Wembanyama as the Blueprint?
At Fanatics Fest, James recorded a live episode of his podcast “Mind the Game” with Steve Nash. Towards the end of the show during a Q&A session from the fans in attendance, James was asked what the next era of NBA rosters could look like. James’ answer was remarkably simple: get someone like Victor Wembanyama, who James claimed seemed to have remarkably grown another two to three inches this offseason.
With a joking grin on his face, James said, “Wemby, I was just standing next to him while we were shooting the shot. This guy I feel like he’s grown another two or three inches for sure in the offseason.”
While it was a low-hanging fruit of a joke from James, it highlights just how physically imposing Wembanyama is and why his skillset and physical archetype are the next golden ticket in the NBA.
Wembanyama is listed at 7’3″, which makes him one of the tallest players to ever grace an NBA floor. If he indeed was 7’5″ as James laughingly mused, he would enter the top 10 of all-time vertical presence in NBA history.
What Makes Wembanyama’s Skillset So Unique?
What makes Wembanyama so fascinating is that he possesses guard-level ball handling skills with the ability to make threes proficiently, all while being the best rim protector in basketball in his second season. He has led the league in total blocks and blocks per game in both of his seasons in the NBA. Adding that defensive presence with his expanding offensive game, and you have a recipe for disaster for other teams.
This rare combination sets Wembanyama apart from previous NBA giants. He offers a combination of towering physicality with playmaking finesse, making him a sort of lab experiment. He is the type of player that every team wants because he offers two things that every team covets: efficient spacing and elite rim protection.
That’s what makes James’ joke about Wembanyama having even more height a comical nightmare scenario for teams everywhere. Shooting over him is already hard enough, adding a few more inches makes it an impossible mission.
Looks like James feels a bit fortunate when thinking about going against Wembanyama. In the sense that Wembanyama is merely entering his prime while James’ illustrious career is winding down. James could consider himself fortunate that he didn’t have to go through a bulk of his prime trying to score on someone like Wembanyama. That is, thankfully for him, the next generation’s problem.
