Expected to carry the weight of being the “best prospect since Lebron James,” Victor Wembanyama made his NBA Summer League debut this past week. The 7’3 France native was the first pick in last month’s draft after being selected by San Antonio. As Summer League kicked off in Vegas, the Spurs faced the Charlotte Hornets, as Wembanyama suited up.
While his first game had its share of good and bad moments, his mere presence on the court helped generate over 1.3M viewers for ESPN. See the official numbers below.
Defensively, Wembanyama showed us exactly how solid of a threat he is against opponents. He finished the game with five blocks while impacting shot selections made by perimeter shooters and post players.
Victor Wembanyama 3rd block of the first half pic.twitter.com/QhlJkg7K4P
— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) July 8, 2023
Also, as expected, he was a menace on the boards, snagging eight rebounds with a few leading to fast-break possessions. Overall, he displayed his elite level of play in almost every aspect of the game. He truly had moments that gave us a preview of how impactful of an NBA player he can be. Of course, it’s still too early to make solid predictions, as he also had instances of weakness.
what on earth is Victor Wembanyama. pic.twitter.com/XjCvociIVl
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) July 8, 2023
Something else also caught the attention of many throughout the game. At times, it looked like Wembanyama ran out of gas. Later, in an interview, he clarified that he, indeed, felt winded after his first game. NBA-level of play conditioning will certainly do him some justice as he continues to develop and grow in the League.
“I’m getting back in shape and I can’t wait. I’m having so much fun.” – Wembanyana, AP
