How Big Was LeBron James? NBA Summer League Debut Compared to Victor Wembanyama?s?

LeBron James was among the highest-touted draft prospects in NBA history. The hype surrounding a young King James enraptured the entire league. Since then, only a few players have matched that level of basketball blitz, one of them being this year?s No. 1 pick a month ago, Victor Wembanyama.?

The Frenchman had the NBA community so excited that everyone wanted the 7?5 bigman to be part of their favorite team. Wembanyama’s debut is now being put next to LeBron James’ and the comparison doesn’t seem misplaced.

The league was hyped about LeBron James’ draft

Coming straight out of High School, LeBron James was labeled The Chosen One – and rightfully so, given how King James has dominated the league ever since his arrival. He single-handedly led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

During his Summer League debut, even the league decided to bring out the big guns to support the hype. LeBron James? first game in the Summer League was against the Orlando Magic.

According to USA Today, for James? Summer League debut game, the NBA had noted analyst Bill Raftery specially placed in the booth, calling the game. Another thing that the league had done back then was the news ticker that appeared on the bottom of the screen. The NBA later changed it to rolling texts, but back then, the viewers had to read the headlines in parts. This took the attention of the viewer away from LeBron James? performance, given how it took them 10-12 seconds to read the headlines.

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But for the San Antonio Spurs‘ latest addition – Victor Wembanyama?s debut team – the league did not issue a big-name broadcaster or do anything of that sort. The 18-year-old was cheered on the moment he entered the court as NBA fans rallied to watch the heralded rookie manifest his talents. ESPN too broadcast the match, owing to all the hype that surrounds James.?

Did Victor Wembanyama match LeBron James’ debut performance?

The performances put up by both LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama weren?t what fans expected. LeBron James had finished the night with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Wembanyama finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 assists. Interestingly, both players ended up getting dunked on by their opponents during their Summer League debut as well.

In the case of the 2023 Summer League debutant, the audience was witness to some slick passes and a clean 3-point shot by James, as he led the Spurs to a 76-68 victory by protecting the rim with 5 blocks in the 27-minute course of action. The No. 2 draftee Brandon Miller of Charlotte Hornets, in his 31-minute on-court action, was able to outscore James with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

After his summer debut, LeBron James went on to become an icon. And given the hype surrounding the Frenchman, conclusions are now being drawn based on such comparisons.

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Given the big baller’s dunked debut, one has to wait and see what the French sensation has in store for fans. Do you think Wemby will live up to the hype around him as the season begins? Share your thoughts with us!