“There’s Not Many 7 Footers in United States”: With 7’4 Victor Wembanyama Set to Light Up NBA, 6’3 Legend Divulges Into Players Like Nikola Jokic and Yao Ming

The thrilling NBA season has concluded with Denver winning their first-ever ring. Now, the 2023 NBA draft and trade rumors are fated to be the tales of the off-season. The widely projected first pick Victor Wembanyama has been at the epicenter of draft discussions even before he declared for the draft. In addition to his gameplay, Wembanyama’s towering 7’4 physique is what makes him a red-hot prospect. Interestingly, an NBA veteran dived deeper into the impact seven-footers can have on the league.

The NBA as of now is arguably seeing the domination of big men. Many of them, however, come from a foreign soil. So does Wembanyama. Standing at 6’3 an NBA legend, who came up with a reality check about the height of American players.

NBA legend speaks about Victor Wembanyama and gives a reality check

In his recent appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, LA legend and Clippers’ general manager Jerry West had a free-wheeling conversation with Paul George and his co-hosts. During the conversation, Jerry West delved deeper into the trend of foreign players dominating the NBA. According to West, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo form the top three. The three are interestingly big men, who traveled the seas to get here.

Jerry West told the hosts that he was taken by awe after coming across tall people from Serbia. “In Serbia, I think one time there the average height of a man was about 6’5 over there,” said West. He added that these tall men can work wonders in the NBA if they get the right support from teammates. West’s admission gains more relevance as the Joker has just won a championship. Following West’s observation of Serbian players, Paul George brought Victor Wembanyama into the conversation.

Citing Victor Wembanyama’s towering physique, George asked West if the “height of the NBA is going to go up?” – “Yeah you know, there’s not that many seven-footers in the United States. China has a ton of them. At one time when Yao Ming was playing, they had over a hundred kids that were seven feet tall playing Center,” West said. He also pointed out that the ‘big men wave’ might be the next big thing in the NBA.

Jerry West predicts the next wave NBA is likely to see

Other than Serbia and China, Jerry West thinks that African countries can also contribute tall men to the game. Moreover, he lauded the NBA for having an eye for African talents. “Look over in Africa. There are certain areas over there. These kids, they’re all 6’6. They’re all angular. And you give them a basketball. There are some unbelievable stories of watching these kids get better by themselves. But the NBA goes over there every summer. It’s amazing what they’ve done. And I think that the next wave be coming through the African countries,” said West.

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Given the dominance of big men in the current NBA, Jerry West’s words don’t come as a surprise. As fans have now seen Denver seizing their maiden ring, eyes will be set on the future, where seven-footers like Wembanyama, hopefully dominate the game.

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