“We want to make a big deal over him dunking the ball,” said Smith.
SAN ANTONIO — During the San Antonio Spurs‘ overtime win against the Hawks at the Frost Bank Arena, Victor Wembanyama had an incredible moment when he tossed the ball off the backboard and to himself for a monster dunk.
The moment got fans off their seats and cheered Wemby for the spectacular highlight moment.
However, when asked about the dunk on “First Take,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was unimpressed and asked for highlights from the Spurs big man that aren’t just dunks.
Smith used a small basketball rim to show how mundane it is for Wemby to dunk. He believes that at 7-4, Wemby’s dunk is nothing special.
“Why the hell are we always making a damn big deal of this man dunking the ball?” Smith asked. “He’s 7-5! He doesn’t even have to jump to dunk. We want to make a big deal over him dunking the ball.”
He criticized his ESPN producers for making a big deal about Wemby dunking and getting overly hyped.
Instead, Smith wants to see Wemby’s complete game, not just the blocks and dunks.
“Show me his ball handling. Show me that 3-point shot that he’s been sniping all over the place. Show me his passing ability! Show me his shot-blocking,” he said.
Smith has a point regarding Wemby’s complete arsenal on both ends of the floor.
He has averaged 22.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks in 93 regular-season games.
Currently, he is posting 33% shooting from the three-point line, 3.6 blocks per game, 1.2 steals, and 21 points.
In other words, Wemby can do it all on the NBA court. His dunks are spectacular, but he is considered a basketball “alien” because of what he can do at his size and height.