Some shows are as wild as the towering Frenchman’s February stats. Apart from making dunking a mere pushover, it’s Victor Wembanyama’s blocking ability that stole his opponents’ thunder this month and catalyzed the current season.
Wemby garnered widespread recognition as a generational talent leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft. Many scouts considered him the best prospect to enter the league since LeBron James in 2003. Adding to the hype, LeBron James himself referred to the Frenchman as “an alien” before Wembanyama even set foot in the NBA.
The big baller has not succumbed to the pressure of potentially unfair expectations. Instead, he has quietly and consistently demonstrated that he was indeed deserving of all the anticipation and enthusiasm. From the season opener onward, he has managed to impress even his most vocal critics. In this most recent outing, he had an insane stat line of 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 Blocks, and 5 steals.
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This performance made just the 5th, 5/5 stat line recorded in the history of the NBA. However, that’s not all. Wemby’s blocks in the month of February alone is more than the entire NBA team’s total blocks.
Blocks this month:
33 — Victor Wembanyama
32 — New York Knicks
30 — Detroit Pistons
26 — Portland Trail Blazers
23 — Miami Heathttps://t.co/8K37fvrpyB— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 24, 2024
These consistent performances even led to high praise from King James after they faced off against each other.
LeBron James Hails Victor Wembanyama and his Coach
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On Friday, LeBron James made a comeback after sitting out the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Golden State Warriors due to an ankle injury. He delivered an impressive performance to guide his team to victory against the San Antonio Spurs. Following the game, James was questioned about Victor Wembanyama, and the Lakers’ star not only commended the rookie but also acknowledged the coaching prowess of Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich.
In a 123-118 victory for the Lakers, the four-time MVP delivered an impressive performance, scoring 30 points, providing 9 assists, and securing 7 rebounds. The Spurs managed to keep the game competitive until late in the fourth quarter, thanks to an outstanding display by rookie Wembanyama. Despite his remarkable efforts, his team couldn’t secure the win.
LeBron James had nothing but praise for the 20-year-old, stating, “He’s special and he has an unbelievable coach that’s going to make sure that he does things the right way. Play the game the right way. He’s going to continue to develop. He’s already special, but he’ll continue to get better and better and better each and every year and each and every game that he’s on the floor.”
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Do you agree with LeBron?