LeBron James vs Victor Wembanyama: Which NBA star had the better debut? Comparing stats, performance and impact
The much-awaited NBA debut of Victor Wembanyama is already in the history books, and we can now compare his numbers to LeBron James. Both players were considered the next faces of the league, and there was an intense debate if the young French big man could outdo the "The Chosen One".
LeBron James' debut happened on Oct. 29, 2003, against the Sacramento Kings. In that game, James tallied 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals. He shot 12 of 20 and had only two turnovers, but the Cavs lost 106-92.
James went up against a Sacramento Kings team that had Peja Stojakovic leading the charge with 22 points. Other players for the Kings in that matchup were Vlade Divac, Brad Miller, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie and Bobby Jackson.
Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama struggled in the early minutes of his debut game on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks because of foul trouble. He picked up his groove in the second half and finished with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block and three triples.
Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to a 126-119 win with his triple-double of 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.
LeBron James still has one of the most impressive NBA debuts in league history
With the comparisons in, LeBron James outplayed Victor Wembanyama in their NBA debuts. Looking back, there were huge expectations for James, who just came out of high school to play his first game in the NBA. Nonetheless, James delivered and quickly adjusted to the professional ranks:
"I was able to make a lot of moves I made in high school," James said afterward, via the Chicago Tribune. "I just had to bring a lot more power. They're a lot stronger in the NBA. Most of the moves I used in high school I used out here."
Victor Wembanyama has the chance to do better with the rest of his career ahead of him. Their next game will be against the Houston Rockets on Friday, Oct. 27 in front of the home crowd at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.