Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama claims he dislikes all nicknames associated with him except LeBron James’s.
To a unicorn? A freak? French genius? No matter what you call him, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama probably doesn’t like the name. Well, unless that nickname comes from LeBron James.
Just seven games into his NBA career, Wembanyama is already attracting the league’s attention with his skill set and length. Wimpy is a truly unique talent who has proven to be a special one.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the New York Knicks, which will be his first at Madison Square Garden, Wembunyama was asked about all the nicknames bestowed upon him. In particular, the Spurs rookie was questioned by the media about his “unicorn” label. While he’s happy with the recognition and attention he’s getting, the No. 1 pick appears to be inspired by what James has said about him in the past.
“I mean, the nickname has been used over and over again, so I’m not a big fan of it,” Wimby said in response to the New York Post’s Stefan Bundy being called a unicorn multiple times. “Like LeBron said: ‘Everyone was a unicorn once.’ There’s only one alien, right?”
Wembunyama, of course, was referring to James’ past comments in which the Los Angeles Lakers superstar called Wembey an alien before he was drafted because he had never met him before.
There have been a lot of connections and similarities between LeBron and Wimby over the past year, especially since the rookie big man was billed as the best draft prospect entering the league since James in 2003. Entering the NBA with such high expectations, the spotlight is always on him, which is why the two players can relate to each other even though LeBron began his career before Wembunama was born.
The San Antonio Spurs had one of the worst records in the league last season, but Vembanyama has pushed his team in the right direction so far. The Spurs currently have a record of 3 wins and 4 losses this season, and Wenby is averaging 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He has yet to miss a game in his young NBA career.
Although they have never played against each other, there appears to have been a strong mutual respect developed between James and Wembunyama. Their first game will be on December 13th when the Lakers take on the Spurs.