Future GOAT? Victor Wembanyama is ready to take LeBron's mantle with outrageous Christmas performance
By Quinn Everts
Victor Wembanyama didn't need a "coming out party" on Christmas day because he's been a household name since before he was taken No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. But it still felt like his sophomore season — which has been even more spectacular than his rookie season — is being a little overlooked.
That will probably stop after the San Antonio Spurs superstar went nuclear on Christmas day, posting a line of 42 points, 18 rebounds, 4 blocks and 4 assists. Despite a thrilling loss to the Knicks, Wemby reminded the world that he's the clear choice to take the mantle of "face of the NBA" when LeBron eventually retires in like 10 years. We've been saying that for years, but with LeBron hinting at his career winding down, the reality of his retirement — and passing of the torch — are starting to sink in.
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Victor Wembanyama in his last 14 games:
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) December 25, 2024
42 PTS 18 REB 4 AST 4 BLK (Christmas Day Debut)
26 PTS 9 REB 4 AST 8 BLK 6/13 3PT
30 PTS 7 REB 3 AST 10 BLK 4/8 3PT
42 PTS 6 REB 5 AST 2 STL 4 BLK
20 PTS 12 REB 7 BLK
28 PTS 7 REB 7 AST
25 PTS 10 REB 3 BLK
15 PTS 13 REB 7 AST
34 PTS 14… pic.twitter.com/hhHY7HWzwF
Does Wemby have GOAT potential?
Yeah, he does. He was so good, so quickly that we collectively seemed to forget that it's not normal for a 20 year-old to be scoring 42 points and getting 18 rebounds... ever. High expectations made it nearly impossible for Wemby to overachieve — the fact he's achieving what was expected of him is just as impressive. When 25 & 10 as a second-year player makes most people go "yeah, that makes sense," a player might be on GOAT trajectory.
There's been plenty of debate about which young player will be the face of the NBA when LeBron, Steph and KD finally call it careers. The choice is pretty simple — it's Wemby, who is the most talented out of the bunch and also highly personable.
It's easy to overreact to young players and unfairly put them on pedestals, adding pressure they didn't ask for. But Wemby deserves all the hype he's gotten... and maybe more. We're seeing something special, and the track he's on makes a GOAT conversation seem inevitable in about 15 years.