When Victor Wembanyama was drafted first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, just almost three years ago, he was heralded as the most highly anticipated rookie since LeBron James.
It wasn’t just hype.
King James made his first trip to the NBA Finals at a mere 22 years of age. An amazing feat, but then Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs brought out the brooms against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“This is going to be your league in a little while”, TD told LBJ. “But I appreciate you giving us this year”, as laughter and good times ensued.
Most thought that a San Antonio team without Duncan, Robinson, Parker, Ginobili, not to mention “El Jefe” Gregg Popovich, would take years to rebuild. Especially with Kawhi Leonard skipping town. They forgot that San An already had a skyscraper with their latest legacy making Spur of the moment.
Now, to Victor goes his first NBA Finals series, also at just 22-years-young, and he’s playing for the silver and black.
Can we finally call the San Antonio Spurs a storied NBA championship franchise, akin to the Lakers and Celtics, or at least the big-three like Golden State Warriors?
Dub them what they’re worth. Or they’ll engrave it on a trophy all the same.
At least they pound for pound have more Larry O’Brien pedigree than the two-time NBA champ New York Knicks who haven’t won a championship in 53 years, or since Phil Jackson was playing and not drawing triangles in the air with Mike.
We’re just happy they NBA has brought back the trophy courts for what is set to be an epic Finals and a new champion with their sights on a dynasty no one else has made for a decade.
Making this rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals an even more sought-after affair. What’s more for all these crazy coincidences, the coach of the Knicks, Mike Brown, was the coach of the King led Cavs that Duncan disposed of during ‘Bron’s first trip to the outskirts of the promised land.
Wemby has already taken the unicorn status from Buck champ Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now, in an NBA title circus that plays like passing the hot potato, he’s just taken out Canada’s champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the no longer defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in an epic seven-game series.
The Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player, and man of the people, letting OKC fans touch his trophy, must have felt like Nikola Jokic when Joel Embiid won MVP.
Championship champagne would taste much sweeter.
It’s going to take some doing, like trying to uncork a bottle, for it all to flow that way. The Knicks are stacked, looking to do the NBA Cup and championship double. Point god purity in Jalen Brunson leading Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Mikal Bridges, Jordan Clarkson, Jeremy Sochan and Jose Alvarado just for starters…and a few key reserves.
That being said, mind you, it’s not like Mitch Johnson’s Spurs aren’t clicking either. There’s star guard De’Aaron Fox in no shooting hole. Not to mention great veteran depth in big-name Harrison Barnes, and everybody’s favourite Canadian Kelly Olynyk, both with this kind of early June experience.
Yet it’s the young wings of latest SLAM cover star Stephon Castle and second-pick rookie Dylan Harper who are already in their star potential, looking as good as that classic colourful Alamo Dome throwback. Reminding this writer of when David Beckham and Ryan Giggs used to bring up the ball for Manchester United as wingers in the Premier League, before they were ultra-famous.
A year after the Spurs and Knicks faced off in the ’99 finals, Dylan’s dad Ron Harper (who is the s###, ‘Bron) won another championship, reuniting with his former Bulls coach Phil Jackson in Hollywood.
All this talent. All this history. But it’s the biggest one that’s going to make his legend known like he already has in France with the Metropolitans 92 of Paris. Avenging his homestand Olympic hurt, losing the gold medal of the Paris 2024 games to the US. The silver lining of that being the drive to outlast everyone else, like how his strong, long arms reach for every ball he isn’t blocking or putting through the basket.
The tears are different, but how much the game means remains the same.
Doing for us skinny men, alongside Western Conference Finals match-up Chet Holmgren, what protein powder and a couple of extra sweaters in the winter couldn’t do. He’s bigger than his body. Relentless. Shaving his head, heading to China, training with Shaolin monks like a Navy SEAL and playing chess…with the people of New York.
The “Alien” tag almost seemed disrespectful, like the ‘Futurama’ episode or a Giannis ‘Freak’ moniker, until he made it his own. Something the league will soon be.
Just like the world, that Victor Wembanyama is out of.
The French revolution of the next generation is here.
Por Vida!
