Current:Home > MyIs Victor Wembanyama NBA's next big thing? How his stats stack up with the league's best-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Is Victor Wembanyama NBA's next big thing? How his stats stack up with the league's best
View Date:2024-12-24 08:09:20
Victor Wembanyama, the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft, officially begins his NBA career tonight when San Antonio Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The 19-year-old sensation, who has wowed at the highest amateur levels, powered his French professional team this summer to the LNB Finals. The Mets 92 ultimately fell in a three-game sweep to favorite AS Monaco, a team with several former NBA players.
Now the question is: How will the French teen's skills translate to a league full of NBA players? His preseason results were impressive: He led the league in blocks per game and averaged just under a point per minute.
Who else have the Spurs drafted 1st overall?
What we do know is that Wembanyama has some very big shoes (20.5, according to footwearnews.com), and he'll be stepping into some proverbial big shoes on the Spurs, too: Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
Victor Wembanyama's stats during last two seasons
It's a bit of apples and oranges to compare him with a stellar high schooler like LeBron James, a one-and-done college player like Anthony Davis or even a four-year college career like Duncan's – the Spurs' last No. 1 pick.
So for now, we can compare the very basics: Wembanyama's height and weight to the stars he'll be competing against and hundreds of others who have come before.
Who are the tallest players ever in the NBA
Once Wembanyama steps on the floor on Wednesday night, he will join a fraternity of the 25 tallest players in NBA history. He did not attend the NBA combine, so there's no official record now of his height, but most, including his NBA profile, say he's 7-foot-4 and estimates have ranged from 7-3 to 7-5. How that compares to others who have played in the league.
Tallest NBA players in the 2022-23 season
Had Wembanyama played during the 2022-23 season, he would have tied the Rockets' Boban Marjanović as the tallest player in the league. He's an inch taller than Kristaps Porzingis, who earned the nickname "The Unicorn" shortly after entering the NBA because of a mix of size and talent similar to that of Wembanyama. With that moniker taken, James once called Wembanyama "The Alien."
How will Wembanyama's body fit into the NBA
While Wembanyama will stand above nearly all of the 4,800 men who've played in the NBA, his estimated weight is only 5 pounds heavier than the median player in the 2022-23 season of 6-6 and 215 pounds, according to nba.com.
If you put every NBA player's height and weight on a single chart, you'll see Wembanyama's 19-year-old frame is much closer to rail-thin Manute Bol than Gheorghe Muresan. Some have speculated, though, that modern training techniques will help Wembanyama build muscle he'll need for the rigors of the NBA.
How Wembanyama's weight and height compare to NBA players
How Wembanyama's wingspan compares
Although intimidating to anyone he's covering, Wembanyama's 8-foot wingspan is still a couple of inches short of the longest recorded in NBA combine history. Tacko Fall, who most recently played in China last season, set the bar in 2019 at 8 feet, 2.25 inches.
veryGood! (88264)
Related
- Beyoncé course coming to Yale University to examine her legacy
- Efforts to recharge California's underground aquifers show mixed results
- 3 lessons from the Western U.S. for dealing with wildfire smoke
- Shop Our Favorite Festival Fashion Trends That Dominated Coachella 2023
- Richard Allen found guilty in the murders of two teens in Delphi, Indiana. What now?
- People smugglers keep trying to recruit this boat captain. Here's why he says no
- Julie Chen Moonves Wants Kim Kardashian and Tom Brady to Have a “Showmance” on Big Brother
- Olympian Simone Biles Marries Jonathan Owens in Texas Ceremony
- SNL's Chloe Fineman Says Rude Elon Musk Made Her Burst Into Tears as Show Host
- A haze is blanketing major swaths of the East Coast because of the Canadian wildfires
Ranking
- Oprah Winfrey denies being paid $1M for Kamala Harris rally: 'I was not paid a dime'
- Jessica Simpson Serves “Neon Energy” in New Bikini Selfie
- Nick Cannon Says He's Praying For Jamie Foxx Amid Hospitalization
- Mother's Day Deals: 10 Home Finds From Wayfair's Amazing Way Day Sale That Mom Will Love
- Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
- Matthew Perry Says Keanu Reeves Won't Be Mentioned in Future Versions of His Memoir
- A daunting recovery begins in the South and Midwest after tornadoes kill at least 32
- Extreme heat will smother the South from Arizona to Florida
Recommendation
-
Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
-
The Big Bang Theory Alum Kevin Sussman Marries Addie Hall
-
New England and upstate New York brace for a winter storm
-
After January storms, some California communities look for long-term flood solutions
-
Barbora Krejcikova calls out 'unprofessional' remarks about her appearance
-
The Young and the Restless' Eric Braeden Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
-
The heat is making squirrels 'sploot' — a goofy act that signals something serious
-
RHOBH's Kyle Richards Reveals If She Keeps in Touch With Lisa Rinna