On Saturday, a special episode of LeBron James’ show “The Shop” was recorded at Fanatics Fest in New York City. Joining James before a live crowd was 21-year-old San Antonio Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama.
At one point, James cracked a joke about Wembanyama’s incredible shot-blocking abilities and the French native’s 7-foot-3 frame. He said that Wembanyama swatting his shots will make him call it quits.
“I can’t play that much further… As long as Wemby keeps smacking my [expletive] shots into the stands, it’s gonna make me retire.”
Wembanyama entered the NBA as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, and he was the most hyped rookie to come into the league since James was a rookie during the 2003-04 season. He quickly lived up to the hype, and this season, he averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and a league-high 3.8 blocks a game before a blood clot cut his year short after 46 games.
The Spurs haven’t made the playoffs since 2019, but with Wembanyama, star guard De’Aaron Fox and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, as well as the possibility of at least one big move this summer, they could very well become a powerhouse very soon.
At the very least, Wembanyama is already a nightmare to play against because of his shot-blocking, and his offensive game is still fairly rudimentary at this point in his career.