NBA

Victor Wembanyama gets honest on playing against LeBron James

As confident in his game as he is, projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama still has plenty of respect for LeBron James.

Victor Wembanyama
© Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesVictor Wembanyama

The NBA world is entirely focused on Victor Wembanyama right now. He’s firmly expected to be taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the first-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and for great reasons.

Wembnayama has the potential to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and he knows it. He plays with the confidence of a guy that knows just how special he is.

Nonetheless, even young stars can be starstruck in the National Basketball Association. That’s why he can already imagine himself going toe-to-toe with LeBron James.

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Victor Wembanyama Says It’ll Be Weird To Play Against LeBron James

“I know it’s gonna feel really special when I play against the top guys– Especially LeBron,” Wembanyama told J.J. Redick. “When I play against LeBron, it’s gonna feel so weird.”

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LeBron Praised Wembanyama

Notably, that respect seems to be mutual, as James opened up about Wembanyama’s skill set, going as far as to call him an alien because of how unique he is:

What do I think of him? Probably the same as everybody else thinks,” James said. Everybody is labeling [players] this ‘unicorn’ thing; everybody has been a ‘unicorn’ over the last couple years, but he’s more like an alien. I’ve never seen — no one has ever seen — anyone as tall as he is but as fluid as he is and as graceful as he is out on the floor. I mean, at 7-foot-4 or 7-foot-5 or 7-foot-3 or whatever the case may be, [with] his ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot step-back jumpers out of the post, step-back threes, catch-and-shoot threes, block shots — he’s for sure a generational talent.”

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“Hopefully, he continues to stay healthy; that’s what is most important for him personally,” James continued. “But you can tell he loves the game; he was smiling a lot while playing the game last night. I think those were the two best players in the [2023] draft on the floor last night, and they both did their thing. He’s a big-time player, and Scoot [Henderson] is a big-time player as well.”

Video: Doctor explains why Victor Wembanyama is injury-prone

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Game recognizes game. James ruled the league for two decades, and it might now be Wembanyama’s turn to carry that torch. We cannot wait to see that first matchup, that’s for sure.

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