Can Victor Wembanyama Finish as the Greatest Spur Over Tim Duncan? Ex-NBA Stars Spark San Antonio’s Future Debate

Victor Wembanyama has taken the NBA World by storm. From the moment Wemby’s name was called in the NBA draft, he has been the talk of the town because of the surrounding hype. And the 19-year-old rookie has held his end of the bargain. Wembanyama is the frontrunner for winning the Rookie of the Year trophy. Even though the Spurs are at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, Wemby is having a great rookie season.

Wembanyama’s rookie year performance has even sparked a conversation about him finishing as the Greatest player in the Spurs franchise history. Even though that spot is completely secured by Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, former NBA stars debated if Wembanyama can surpass the 5-time champion when it’s all said and done.

Can Victor Wembanyama surpass Tim Duncan?

Former NBA stars Gilbert Arenas and Rashad McCants had a detailed discussion about Wembanyama’s future during The Gil’s Arena Podcast. McCants believed it would be tough for Wembanyama to surpass Tim Duncan for the title of the Greatest Spur ever because of how deep his resume was. Duncan was a 5-time Champion and a 3-time Finals MVP. He made the All-Star team in his rookie season and is arguably the Greatest Power Forward in NBA history. McCants also put Duncan in the ranks of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in terms of accolades and skill level.

However, Gilbert Arenas claimed, “If he plays 16 something years, he can.” According to Arenas, if Wembanyama stays healthy and has at least a 15-year career with the Spurs, he will surpass Tim Duncan in points, rebounds, and blocks. If the criteria to become the Greatest Spurs player is individual stats, then Wemby has a chance to get past Duncan.

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Victor Wembanyama and Tim Duncan were in different situations

When Tim Duncan got drafted by the Spurs in 1997, they were already a championship-level team. Duncan became the missing piece in that team and he helped them win a title in his second season. That boosted the career of Duncan, who went on to win 5 championships. Meanwhile, Wembanyama has entered a completely different situation in San Antonio. The Spurs are in the beginning of their rebuilding stage, and their future is dependent on how Wemby performs.

Duncan had the advantage of being part of a championship team in his rookie season. And Wembanyama has the advantage of bagging more individual stats in a free environment. Wemby is already the league leader in blocks as a 19-year-old rookie. He is averaging 18.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks. Wembanyama’s stats will give him an edge over Duncan, and the only thing separating them will be the Championships. If Victor does well in that department as well, he has a legitimate chance at becoming the Greatest Spurs player of all time.

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