“Bron was a monster from the jump” - Brendan Haywood believes LeBron James & Victor Wembanyama comparisons are jerky
When LeBron James joined the NBA after being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, he entered the league as one of the most, highly touted prospects of all time. During his time at St. Vincent-St. Mary, the Akron native gained nationwide recognition as the future of basketball.
Over the past year, French superstar Victor Wembanyama has found himself in a similar position. Standing at 7'5 with the skills of both an elite guard, and a long big-man, Wembanyama generated a tremendous amount of interest around the world.
Heading into last season, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver even went so far as to plead with teams to refrain from tanking despite the allure of generational talent. Throughout the course of the season, and the buildup to the draft, Wembanyama continued to be compared to LeBron James.
Although it's no secret that few players have ever garnered the same amount of hype as either man, Brendan Haywood believes the comparisons are a bit much. Speaking on an episode of No Chill with Gilbert Arenas, Haywood explained the difference between Wembanyama and LeBron James.
"When I look at his skill level it's not gonna happen right away, he's not as polished as what LeBron was coming in. Oh he's LeBron, no he's not.
"Bron was a monster from the jump. Vic is in a great situation, Pop's going to teach him how to play, and when he learns how to play they build around in the right way in about two to three years it's gonna be a problem but it's gonna take some time."
What has LeBron James said about Victor Wembanyama?
Given that many have dubbed Wembanyama the biggest prospect since LeBron James, it's no surprise that the future Hall of Famer has been asked about Wemby. Late last year, as the LA Lakers were gearing up for a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, the four-time NBA champ spoke about the French star.
At the time, he had recently traveled to see Wembanyama's Metropolitans 92 compete against Scoot Henderson and the G-League Ignite team. As he explained to media members, he had never seen anything quite like what Wembanyama did on the court.
“I think probably the same as everybody else thinks. Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien. No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and graceful as he is on the floor. … He’s for sure a generational talent. Hopefully, he continues to stay healthy. That’s the important thing for him.”
After an exciting pair of games at the NBA Summer League, fans and analysts around the world are eager to see how Wembanyama does in the NBA. Although he will miss the FIBA World Cup next month, he's eager to hit the ground running once the NBA season tips off.