Victor Wembanyama was recently named Rookie of the Year, prompting various personalities to rain praises on the San Antonio Spurs star. Among those who gave the French big man his flowers is no other than Phoenix Suns All-Star forward Kevin Durant.
Even before he was selected first by the Spurs, Wembanyama generated so much hype during his time playing in Europe. Thanks to a blend of size, ball-handling, stellar shot creation, playmaking, and impressive defense, most teams tanked for the chance to get him in the draft.
After the offseason, a lot of eyes were on Wemby to see if he’s the real deal. Although he started off slow for the first few games, the rookie went off in a game against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in November of last year. In that contest, Wembanyama led San Antonio to a surprising win by dropping 38 points on 57 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from deep, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
Although the Spurs would drop hard in the standings, Wembanyama continued to shine by putting up insane performances throughout the year. By the end of the regular season, the French big man separated himself from Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren to win Rookie of the Year.
Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant Praises San Antonio Spurs Star Victor Wembanyama After Winning Rookie of the Year
After Wembanyama was named as this season’s top rookie, Durant sent out a tweet honoring his achievement. In a video he shared on his official X account:
congrats @wemby https://t.co/2NHkhpiuwL
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 7, 2024
The shared by the Suns’ All-Star showed Wemby taking a look at a Fanatics exhibit showing memorabilia items featuring the NBA’s greatest rookies. Durant’s tweet validated Wembanyama as one of these players with a long and successful career ahead of him.
With the offseason in full swing for the Spurs, they will have to get to work in order to give the French star all the help he needs to succeed. In any case, Durant’s endorsement goes a long way in telling the whole world how bright the future is for this season’s Rookie of the Year.
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