NBA News: Former Lakers NBA champion delivers high praise for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, made a strong impression in his rookie NBA season and helped lead France to a silver medal at the Olympic Games. The young phenom has been receiving accolades from all corners, and the latest praise comes from a former Los Angeles Lakers champion.

Metta World Peace, who won the NBA title with the Lakers in the 2009-10 season (formerly known as Ron Artest), was asked on SiriusXM NBA Radio which player he would choose to defend the league’s top scorers. Without hesitation, he picked Wembanyama.

“I like him, he’s old school,” World Peace said. “He’s old school. He’s getting after it. He wants to win the Defensive Player of the Year. He told Rudy Gobert, I think I heard something he said, ‘This is your last one,’ you know?”

World Peace’s endorsement of Wembanyama carries weight, especially from someone who was known for his elite defensive skills, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award and earning four All-Defensive Team selections. “I really like that. I can’t wait to see what he does. But if I had to pick one guy, obviously Wembanyama is a cheat code, so I’d probably pick him,” he added.

Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs guards Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Hall of Famer on Wembanyama’s unique game

NBA Hall of Famer Ralph Sampson also made a bold statement about Wembanyama’s unprecedented skill set. “Wembanyama’s a different player at a different time in basketball,” Sampson said in an interview with AZCentral’s Dana Scott.

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“He’s got great skills and a strong work ethic, you can see that. But he doesn’t need to play the post. If he did, it’d be a whole different ball game. But there just aren’t big guys who can match up with him. He’s playing against smaller players, so the game is completely different,” Sampson explained.

Patrick Beverley on Wembanyama’s impact

Patrick Beverley, on a recent episode of The Pat Bev Podcast, shared his thoughts on Wembanyama, placing him in a category of his own.

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“He’s not a five,” Beverley said. “He’s everything. You can’t even compare him to anyone else. He’s going to be the best player in the NBA next year. He’s a center who shoots threes and dribbles the ball.”