Video: Spurs Legend Tony Parker Compares Victor Wembanyama to Lakers’ LeBron James

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVAugust 3, 2024

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

There aren’t many NBA players in history who have entered the league with higher expectations than reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, who met and exceeded them this past year with the San Antonio Spurs.

And for Spurs’ legend Tony Parker, that meant there was only one natural comparison after Wembanyama’s first year.

“He’s not bothered by the pressure or the expectation,” he told Yahoo Sports’ Kerri Walsh Jennings (4:50 mark). “He’s a little bit like LeBron. The only one who can compare to so much expectation before his arrival is LeBron James. And Victor, the way he played his rookie season with the Spurs, he was unbelievable. And so I hope it translates to a lot of championships with the Spurs, and I hope it translates to a lot of medals for French basketball.”

Wembanyama, 20, averaged an impressive 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, an NBA-leading 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 32.5 percent from three.

Alongside of being the Rookie of the Year, he was a first-team All-Rookie and All-Defensive selection and was the runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year to Rudy Gobert. It was an epic opening salvo, as Wemby clearly wasn’t overwhelmed by the weight of expectation.