San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama lived up to the hype after his stellar rookie season, during which he won the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Now in his second year in the league, he’s starting to show dominance on the floor, especially on the defensive end.
With his length and ability to predict when opponents will challenge him on the rim, Wemby has emerged as the league’s best defensive big. For a second-straight season, he’s leading the NBA in blocks, averaging almost four a game.
Former star of the Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, analyzed what Wemby could do in his career on Monday’s episode of “Run It Back.” According to him, the minimum that the French player could achieve would be the best defensive player in history.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll go down as one of the greatest — it’s not even an argument,” Cousins said. “At minimum, he’ll be the greatest Defensive Player of all-time. Minimum, I’m calling that now, the greatest.
“I feel like we were having this conversation before his first game. Just to see the talent, the height, the build. Just — this is something we’ve never seen before in this sport. This kid has it all. He can literally do whatever he wants on the basketball court. Obviously, the talent is there, the gift is there, it’s just about staying healthy and staying consistent throughout his career.”
Wemby’s floor is the greatest defensive player of all time 🤯👀@boogiecousins has high hopes for the NBA career of the Spurs’ young superstar 🤝💪 pic.twitter.com/vwjY9dsoMR
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 6, 2025
With the length Wemby has, he’s defended his team with ease. Despite his lanky frame, he’s not afraid to challenge shots. Even in his first official season in the league, the center has built a reputation as an intimidating force on the inside.
Victor Wembanyama received praise from Denver Nuggets star
Victor Wembanyama had a showdown against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, which led to a 122-111 loss for the Spurs. Despite the loss, however, Wemby impressed fans and even his opponents with his performance.
The big man had 20 points, 23 rebounds, three assists and four blocks. After the game, Jokic had high praise for how well Wemby played.
“I think he’s better this year than last year,” Jokic said in his postgame interview. “I think he’s going to get even better. [He will] experience how his body is changing. Learning the play. He has really good veterans in his team right now to help him to grow. … I think he’s gonna be one of the kind and be remembered forever.”
“He’s a special player. We know he’s a really good shooter,” he added.
Still, the Serbian big outperformed the youngster with his 46 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
