Victor Wembanyama’s work ethic could make him ‘unstoppable’ (2024)

Before he even stepped foot onto an NBA court, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama was dubbed as one of the most hyped players since LeBron James. Through his first five games, the 19-year-old has put up impressive performances, and these haven’t gone unnoticed around the league, with NBA writer Mark Medina believing that his ‘competitive mindset’ and work ethic will make his ‘skills really unstoppable’.

Roster and team stability

The San Antonio Spurs edging out their competition to win the rights to the No. 1 NBA Draft pick, completely transformed the trajectory of the franchise almost overnight. Widely viewed as a ‘once in a generation player’ there was no doubt that they would be selecting French phenomenon Victor Wembanyama, who in the age of social media, has arguably generated the most hype for an NBA prospect since LeBron James back in 2003.

After landing their all but certain new franchise star, the Spurs had to make accommodating moves to ensure his adjustment to life in the NBA was as smooth and stable as possible. As such, the organization extended their long-standing head coach of 27 years, Gregg Popovich, on a five-year deal to remain with the team. The deal is worth a reported $80 million, per Spotrac.

With the five-time NBA champion locked down for the foreseeable, the Spurs’ next move was to provide Wembanyama with a teammate, tying down Devin Vassell to a five-year, $146 million rookie-scale extension after a breakout season last year. In his first three seasons in the league, he increased his scoring average by six points per season, while also ranking in the top-15 in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage for players who have attempted over 150 shots. The 23-year-old's long-term commitment to the team ensures another young franchise cornerstone alongside Wembanyama, with the hopes that the two can be complementary of each other’s game and become one of the top duos in the NBA further into the future.

Medina – Wemby ‘wants to maintain a competitive edge’ over his opponents

Despite viewing other NBA players, such as Kevin Durant, as his idols, Medina argues that Wemby wants to view them as his opponents as opposed to befriending them to make himself ‘look good’. As a result, this work ethic combined with his skill set bodes well for him becoming a ‘really special player’.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said…

“As far as getting advice from other players, he's having this healthy balance where he knows the history of the league. He views Kevin Durant, for example, someone like his idol, but he also wants to maintain a competitive edge. And so I think that with Victor Wembanyama, I don't think that he's a guy that's going to be trying to ingratiate himself with other top players just to make himself look good, or to get compliments or get insight. He wants to view these players as actual opponents, and I think that having that competitive mindset with that and his work, that's going to do wonders. The reality is you have to be skilled in the NBA to thrive. And thankfully, he has a lot of skills that show that he's going to be a really special player. But it's that work ethic that really helps make those skills really unstoppable, as well as make those weaknesses turn into strengths.”

Hot start to life in the NBA

While it is only five games into the season, Wembanyama has already showed glimpses of how good he could turn out to be once he has fully adjusted to the pace of the NBA, and fine-tuned his vast skill-set.

Through his first five games, the Frenchman has averaged 20.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 blocks. Alongside padding the stat sheet, he has shot 50.0 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from the three-point line. It’s not very often that you come across a player seven-foot-four in stature who boasts handles such as Wemby, who also has the ability to either step into a three or be on the end of an alley-oop pass where he towers above his defenders, no matter how big they are. Perhaps his most notable performance so far was his outstanding outing against the Phoenix Suns where he erupted for 38 points, in which he scored 10 of the Spurs’ last 12 points in the fourth quarter, and 10 rebounds, even making Kevin Durant look small at times when contesting his shots in their 132-121 win. This performance saw him become the second-youngest player in NBA history to put up 35+ points and 10 rebounds in the game, behind only his opponent that evening, KD.

Read more: 5 NBA unicorns that paved the way for Victor Wembanyama

There is no doubt that Victor Wembanyama is currently living up to the hype that was generated before he was officially even in the NBA, and despite this being only a minute sample size of performances, the versatility he offers on both ends of the floor could be frightening to the league once he truly develops and enters his prime. This isn’t just the beginning of a new era in San Antonio, this truly generational talent is about to set the entire league alight, and there appears to be no ceiling to his potential.