San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has proven his mettle in the NBA, and former Spurs and fellow Frenchman Tony Parker can’t help but show his excitement for the big man’s young career.
The NBA legend talked to Yahoo Sports’ Keri Walsh Jennings on Friday, sharing his thoughts on Wemby’s basketball journey so far.
“Victor’s amazing,” Parker told Jennings. “Like, his head and his mental side, it’s nothing I can tell. It’s like he’s ready.”
The four-time NBA champion even compared Wemby to LeBron James, who many had high expectations for when he entered the league way back in 2003.
“He’s (Wemby) not bothered by the pressure or the expectations, he’s a little bit like Lebron. The only one I can compare with so much expectation before your arrival is LeBron James. I think he’s the only one you can really compare,” continued Parker.
While he has high hopes for Wemby, Parker is also concerned for his fellow Frenchman’s health.
“That’s the only worry. If I had to say one thing, is, ‘Can he sustain this through the years and stay healthy at that body at 7’4″?” Parker said. “Can you play 15, 20 years and play the whole year with the Spurs and then every summer with the national team? Can you do that with that body?”
Wemby ended his rookie season on a high note, being named the 2024 Rookie of the Year and coming close to earning the Defensive Player of the Year award. Many expected his career to start strong, and now they’re interested in seeing how the center becomes a major superstar in the league.
France head coach criticizes Victor Wembanyama after loss against Germany
Victor Wembanyama is representing his home country of France, which also happens to be the host country of the 2024 Olympics. As such, he and the entire French men’s basketball team have a daunting task to defend their country’s prestige in the tournament. However, they recently failed in that task after suffering an 85-71 loss against Germany—their first loss—on Friday.
Wemby posted a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds during the game, but their coach, Vincent Collet, didn’t deem Wemby aggressive enough on the offensive end. Collet had some choice words about Wemby after the game.
“He stopped the ball too much. Against that kind of aggressiveness, you can’t play that way,” said Collet. “You are never 1-on-1 because they come to double-team and there’s no space to operate. It’s important to move the ball.”
France still has a chance to advance to the knockout stage, and Wemby is surely looking to bounce back.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Team USA still have one game to play—against Puerto RIco—before they can determine their final standing in Group C of the Olympic tournament.
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