KENS 5’s Vinnie Vinzetta makes the case that, at 21 years old, the young Spurs superstar is already changing the game.
SAN ANTONIO — Blink and you’ll miss it!
Don’t blink! You’ll miss it! Either one works.
Tiger Woods forever changed professional golf. That’s the only athlete I can think of who can be said to have done that for his sport?
Michael Jordan was all-time great, but he didn’t change the game. Wayne Gretzky didn’t change the game, but he was all-time great.
Victor Wembanyama? He’s already all-time great... and he is changing the game!
7-foot-4, 7-foot-5, whichever side of that argument you fall on when it comes to the Spurs superstar’s height, it doesn’t matter. You’ll agree with the point: He is, and has, changed the game.
You watched the Monday night win over the Toronto Raptors. You saw the third-year Spurs center rebound and dribble, quite effortlessly, behind his back and then deliver the perfect chest pass to Devin Vassell for the breakaway dunk in transition.
I mean… lord have mercy. We’ve never seen anything like this on an NBA court.
And the odds likely favor that we’ll never seen it again. Think about it. It is crazy that a dude that tall can run point guard. It’s total basketball insanity.
Do I even have to ask how blessed San Antonio is to have someone — and, knock on wood, barring injury — that will have an opportunity to go down as the greatest player ever? The Lakers, Celtics and whoever else has to be jealous more than they’ll ever let on.
Consider this…
- He can bring up the basketball and set the play, at 7-foot-5 (or 7-foot-4)
- He can already pass like any other former legendary NBA point guard, at 7-foot-5 (or 7-foot-4)
- He will someday own the all-time NBA record for blocks by wide margins, like John Stockton’s Wikipedia page says about assists and steals
- He can disrupt shots from anywhere
- He can get his own shot from anywhere
- He only allows other teams to relax when he’s on the bench
- He needs just one step to get from midrange to the basket that takes anyone else three or four
- And… he’s “The Alien,” which nobody else in the league can claim. Not even “The Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo, with all due respect to him
The Spurs undefeated preseason and undefeated stretch to start to the regular season has caught everyone off guard, expect those of us in San Antonio, of course.
You can check ‘em off the list. Vegas! ESPN! Other NBA teams! They all knew it was coming, but they didn’t expect it to arrive quick right here, right now.
But it is here. And it is here to stay.
Spurs Owner Peter J. Holt on Sunday, prior to tipoff, addressed fans at center court and thanked Spurs Nation for sticking with them through the lean years. His point was simply this: The competitive Spurs are back. The next Tim Duncan era with Victor Wembanyama’s face now in place of the great #21 has arrived.
Buckle up! This core group is gonna contend for years to come.
#GoSpursGo