The San Antonio Spurs have had a knack for landing generational talent, and LeBron James is not shy about saying it. Victor Wembanyama is 21 years old and already doing things the NBA hasn't seen before.
He doesn't have an MVP yet, but the basketball world increasingly treats that as a formality rather than a question. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Wembanyama put up 41 points and 24 rebounds in a double-overtime win.
He backed that up in Game 2 with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, though the Thunder took that one and evened the series. LeBron James has been watching closely, and he has plenty to say about it.
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LeBron James on What Makes Wembanyama Different
On a recent episode of his "Mind The Game" podcast, James pushed back on the idea that Wembanyama's dominance is simply about size. The league has seen big men before. That's not what this is.
James zeroed in on the skill attached to that frame. The ball handling in space, creating off the dribble, making elite defenders look lost on the perimeter. Snatch-backs, spins, fadeaways, up-and-unders, step-back threes from the corner. Those aren't moves that come with height. They come with work and feel for the game.
"It's not just because he's tall. It's because he has the ability to do things that we haven't seen in our league, ever," James said. "His IQ, like, you can tell by the way he talks, by his demeanor. He knows the game. He was taught the game the right way. San Antonio continues to get lucky as [expletive] with these generational, talented, IQ, smart [players]. 'Keep the main thing the main thing' like David Robinson, Tim Duncan and now Wemby. Guys that have this dead-serious mentality."
The numbers from Game 1 alone put Wembanyama in rare company. He and Wilt Chamberlain are the only players in league history to post 40 points and 20 rebounds in their first conference finals appearance.
He also became just the second Spurs player ever to hit those marks in a playoff game, joining David Robinson.
Robinson was part of two championship teams in San Antonio. Duncan led the franchise to five titles. The Spurs are counting on the same lottery luck that brought Wembanyama to Texas three years ago to eventually deliver another one.
At 21, he's already making that feel like a real possibility.
