As Victor Wembanyama prepares for his much-hyped rookie season, don't forget the last can't-miss prospect -- LeBron James -- didn't arrive fully formed in 2003.
experiencing a big moment, and his veteran teammates wanted to make it memorable, it being his first NBA game and all.James proudly ran out and got ready to start warmups before suddenly realizing he was by himself, a still sparse crowd looking at him awkwardly. Back in the tunnel, his teammates were roaring with laughter. Naïve and embarrassed, James could only shake his head at the joke.
" has had that hype for so long, kind of like LeBron did coming out. I compare him more to LeBron than in that respect," Popovich said."And sure, I did worry about it. One of my major concerns was to figure out how to protect him or how I'm going to give him speeches about this and this and you got to look out for this and all that."
"I think I'm ready," Wembanyama told ESPN last week."I know I haven't seen the best level of the NBA so far and the best teams and the best players, but it's very exciting."will translate to dominant regular-season games quickly is yet to be seen.. His first quarter, in which he scored 12 points and got steals on three of four Kings possessions -- one leading to an iconic photo of his first official dunk -- was as surprising as it was statement-making.
Wembanyama is playing in an experimental lineup out of the gate. The Spurs plan to start the season with one natural guard, shooting guard, and four forwards/centers with Sochan playing point and Wembanyama likely to get some ballhandling duties. And, as James noted, Wembanyama will have to compete under what will likely be a fair amount of social media scrutiny, perhaps similar to what he faced
Unlike James, who started his rookie season with a three-game West Coast road trip, Wembanyama also gets his first two games at home.
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