Victor Wembanyama is no stranger to being called an alien and a generational prospect. But as the playoffs kicked off, the San Antonio Spurs forward drew a comparison to some of the most legendary and feared names in league history, including Kobe Bryant.
Chris Broussard Sounds Off on Victor Wembanyama’s Mamba Mentality
Wembanyama has anchored the league’s third-best defense in the regular season, spearheading San Antonio’s 62-20 regular season. During Sunday’s commanding 111-98 Game 1 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, his offensive bag proved just as lethal as his rim protection in a historic night for the Spurs.
In a recent segment of “First Things First,” while previewing San Antonio’s postseason chances against the rest of the West, Chris Broussard made a striking comment about the French phenom that caught attention.
Drawing parallels to the physical traits of two modern legends in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, as well as the mentality of the late five-time champion Kobe Bryant, Broussard said,
“I look at Wemby… this is gonna sound crazy, Wemby is a cross between Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and Kevin Durant, with the mentality of Kobe [Bryant]. He wants it. That dude wants it badly. He’s transferring that to his teammates. They’re young, but they’re mature, the way they came out… the mentality is right.”
Broussard also emphasized that if Wembanyama’s supporting cast can maintain their execution, San Antonio is built for a deep championship run.
“The defense? They gotta keep their aggressiveness on defense… If they can shoot well, then they can win it. I think San Antonio’s depth is more talented than OKC… so yeah I feel good about their chances.”
While the claims are massive, Wembanyama’s performance this season has been too impressive to overlook.
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Wembanyama averaged an impressive 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, and 3.1 assists during the regular season, and has been named among the finalists for the MVP award alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić.
Making his highly anticipated playoff debut under the bright lights of the Frost Bank Center on Sunday, the newly-crowned Defensive Player of the Year put on an absolute masterclass. Wembanyama overwhelmed Portland with a game-high 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while going 13-of-21 from the floor and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Wembanyama’s 35 points officially broke Spurs legend Tim Duncan’s franchise record for the most points in a playoff debut as San Antonio took a 1-0 series lead.
