With a 2-3 record through their first five games, the San Antonio Spurs are off to a lackluster start in the 2024-25 season. High expectations were set for Gregg Popovich’s team this year, especially with Victor Wembanyama positioned as one of the league’s rising stars. However, a former NBA standout recently offered sharp criticism of the French center, invoking a well-known Kobe Bryant quote to describe his play.
“He’s soft as Charmin,” Eddie Johnson remarked about Wembanyama during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio. The former Phoenix Suns player and 1989 NBA Sixth Man of the Year was blunt in his assessment of the young center’s season. “He’s soft. He’s soft offensively, and he’s soft defensively.”
Expanding on his analysis, Johnson criticized the 20-year-old’s playing style: “He wants to be a (expletive) guard; he’s chuckin’ up threes all the (expletive) time. He wants to show everybody he’s got a crossover.”
Johnson continued by sharing his perspective on what Wembanyama needs to do to have a greater impact on the court. “Dude, you’re the tallest dude in the league. Get your butt in the paint. Be ferocious. Try to dunk on some people so they’ll back up. Next time, they won’t stick their hand up there,” he advised before reiterating: “He’s soft right now.”
Eddie Johnson #8 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during a 1989 season NBA game at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Kobe Bryant reference
Johnson’s “soft as Charmin” comment is a direct nod to Kobe Bryant, who popularized the phrase during his final years with the Los Angeles Lakers. In a well-known practice session, Kobe famously berated his teammates, shouting, “Now I see why we’ve lost so many games. We’re soft like Charmin!” The statement quickly spread among NBA fans, and Bryant later clarified that he was trying to raise the intensity level within his team.
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Wembanyama’s performance so far
Eddie Johnson’s remarks may be founded, as it’s evident that the San Antonio Spurs have had a slow start to the NBA season. But it would be unfair to place the responsibility solely on Victor Wembanyama, who has delivered impressive performances in several games.
Wembanyama is currently averaging 18.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game (both team highs), along with 3.2 assists (second only to Chris Paul). He also played a key role in the Spurs’ two victories this season, contributing significantly in wins over the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz.
