Rivaling Jayson Tatum and More, Kendrick Perkins Predicts Victor Wembanyama’s Championship Count With Bold Claim

A lot can only dream about what Victor Wembanyama had in his debut season. Not only did he claim Rookie of the Year, but also became first runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, confirming his spot in All-Defensive First Team. But a stat-line boasting 21.4 ppg, a towering figure of 7’4″, and a Gregg Popovich-like coach by his side — a lot more can happen for the San Antonio Spurs rookie in the league within no time. But how many rings through his career?

Kendrick Perkins declared there will be championships for Wemby, but he has not been very generous with the number. “I believe [Victor Wembanyama] will win three championships when it’s all said and done,” he said. However, the 2008 NBA champ claims it will not be an easy path, considering players like Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant are also walking on it.

Perk’s reasoning is not completely flawed considering, Tatum will enter the season 2025 riding high on last season’s victory. And while Morant has constantly leveled up his game, Edwards has time and again attracted comparison with Michael Jordan. So it’s evidently clear, the path to championships will not all be a cakewalk for Victor.

Apart from this, Perk believes the one advantage Wemby has over other players may also become his limitation going ahead. The former Celtics star argued that players with such towering heights usually fail to have longer careers. But considering Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, at 7’2″, played nearly two decades in the league, there can always be exceptions.

Interestingly though, three championships for Wemby as per Perk’s prediction are if the Spurs rookie stays healthy and plays for a decent time. But everything said aside, the 2008 NBA champ still believes Wembanyama will be among the top of the players. 

Perkins predicts Victor Wembanyama’s position in the league in the near future

The former Celtics star may not have been very generous with the number of his championship predictions. But he still believes the Spurs rookie will soon be the next big thing in the NBA. In fact, as per Perk’s opinion, it’s just 3 more years before Wemby is the best player in the league on both ends of the floor.

“We’re talking about a 7’4″ version of Kevin Durant offensively. There’s nothing he can’t do. Defensively, we’ve never seen anything like him,” Perkins said. Even the 2024 Rookie of the Year himself has a firm belief in his potential and future.

Notably, Victor Wembanyama was allegedly snubbed in consideration for the Defensive Player of the Year. The award went to Rudy Gobert despite his 0.7 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. As compared to Wemby’s 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game. Asked about the same by French journalist Théo Quintard, the 7’4″ player replied, “Let him win it now, because after that it’s no longer his turn.” Considering his approach, it can safely be assumed Wemby will be looking for a higher number of rings than Perk’s prediction.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.