Wembanyama hailed as 'generational talent'

LAS VEGAS - With a 2.44m wingspan and the smooth shooting touch of a point guard despite his towering 2.20m frame, French prodigy Victor Wembanyama did not disappoint in his first appearance in the United States.

Over the past week, the 18-year-old was in Nevada with his French league team, showcasing the skills that many informed observers believe will make him the No. 1 pick in the 2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft.

Around 200 NBA team representatives and more than 70 media outlets attended the teenager's first match on US soil as he led the Metropolitans 92 against G-League team Ignite.

Despite facing another hot NBA prospect, Scoot Henderson, Wembanyama grabbed 37 points and made five blocks as his team went down to a 122-115 loss. The centre followed up that eye-catching debut with another masterpiece last Thursday, scoring 36 points with 11 rebounds, four blocks and four assists in a 112-106 win over the Ignite.

Wembanyama has drawn comparisons to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James at the same age and the four-time NBA champion is already a fan, calling him a "generational talent".

"No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor. I mean at 7 foot-4 or 7 foot-5 or 7 foot-3, whatever the case may be, 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," James said.

While Wembanyama's unique array of talents have prompted some to describe him as a "unicorn", James said the French teenager was "more like an alien".

Many experts believe he can surpass France's two leading basketball exports, Minnesota Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert, the multiple Defensive Player of the Year winner, and Tony Parker, who was an integral part of championship-winning teams at the San Antonio Spurs.

Gobert agreed with James, saying "we've never seen anything like Victor", and after seeing Wembanyama impose himself on a developmental NBA team, Metropolitans coach Vincent Collet felt the sky was the limit for his charge.

"For a boy of 18, his maturity is impressive. He knows who he is, what he wants and he recognises the effort he will need to put in to achieve it," Collet said.

Such is Wembanyama's potential that there is speculation some NBA teams may "tank", or deliberately finish in the lowest positions that guarantee them one of the top-five draft picks, in the upcoming NBA season that opens on Oct 18.

"When you are dealing with unique players like Victor, you are not surprised. He is capable of doing things that normal players can't do. It's talent," said Collet.

AFP