San Antonio Spurs’ star Victor Wembanyama was one of the most hyped prospects we have ever seen. At just 22 years old, Wembanyama is putting up 24.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game, living up to and likely exceeding the hype he received.
The last player to do that? Los Angeles Lakers’ star LeBron James, who Wembanyama thinks can help him navigate his way through the league.
Victor Wembanyama to Speak With LeBron James About How He Handled His Stardom
The league is always on the hunt for its next star, but with James’ career winding down, a new face could capture the attention of NBA fans. Many believe Wembanyama is in line to be the next face of the league, and he was asked what the league’s face over the last two decades, James, could teach him.
“I actually think LeBron… he’s very intelligent in those areas, him obviously being the face of the league,” Wembanyama explained. One of the aspects he respects about James’ career is just how well he has handled his life off the court.
“Very few mistakes, like very few PR mistakes,” Wembanyama said. “I think that definitely takes some intelligence. I think there’s many things to take from him. I’ve never had a chance to spend time with him, to have a full discussion, but I would love to.”
James has been in the public eye since high school and has had no scandals or real off-court problems, which is extremely impressive for someone in the limelight as much as he is.
Although James isn’t quite the player he once was, he is still playing at a high level, putting up 22.0 points, 7.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 33.3 minutes per game while shooting 50.2% from the field despite a right-side sciatica injury that kept him out of action to start the season.
Wembanyama was selected as an All-Star for the second time this season, while James can now call himself a 22-time All-Star. Of course, Wembanyama believes anyone who picks up a basketball has something to learn from James.
“There’s I don’t know how many millions of basketball players on earth and all of them can learn something from LeBron.”
Wembanyama won’t shed a tear when James does hang them up, but does admit it will be “weird.” With James’ potential retirement coming soon, this could be the last time we see James and Wembanyama on the court together.
Although there is no official passing of the torch, we are seeing the likes of James, Houston Rockets’ star Kevin Durant, and Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry begin to turn things over to younger players like Wembanyama.
You can see James, Wembanyama, and their fellow All-Stars on Sunday evening. The first game of the round-robin tournament tips off at 5:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on NBC.
