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Lakers’ legend LeBron James kept it real when discussing Victor Wembanyama’s potential with the Spurs
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ postseason hopes have been flipped on their head over the past week, as both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are expected to miss at least the team’s entire upcoming first-round playoff series. That has put quite a burden on the shoulders of LeBron James, who will be tasked with leading the Lakers past whoever their opponent ends up being.
There’s been a change of guard in Los Angeles this season, as James had slid into a secondary role behind Doncic and Reaves prior to their injuries. The same has been true across the league, as James is no longer considered one of the top players in the league. One guy who has replaced him is San Antonio Spurs‘ phenom Victor Wembanyama, and when discussing his potential, James issued a scary warning that will catch the rest of the NBA’s attention.
LeBron James Drops Truth Bomb on Victor Wembanyama’s Potential
Back in 2003, James shook up the NBA with his arrival, as he immediately managed to live up to the sky-high expectations he was faced with as one of the top basketball prospects of all time. In a lot of ways, Wembanyama has followed the road James paved for him, and he’s truly managed to take his game to another level this season for the Spurs.
In 63 games, Wembanyama is averaging career highs in points (24.8) and rebounds (11.5) per game, while also dishing out 3.1 assists per game and leading the league with 3.1 blocks per contest. Simply put, Wembanyama is an anomaly, as he has the height to impact the game on both ends of the floor, while also having the agility to guard the perimeter on defense and create shots for himself on offense.
Wembanyama has placed himself firmly in the MVP conversation, and it’s worth remembering he turned just 22 years old only a couple of months ago in January. For as good as he already is, it feels like Wembanyama has so much more room to grow, which led to James dropping a scary warning when it comes to the Frenchman’s potential.
“I’m glad I won’t be in the league when (Wembanyama’s prime) arrives. I’m glad I can watch and do this and figure out what time my tee time is tomorrow,” James said on “Mind The Game.”
LeBron James Looking to Keep the Lakers Afloat
GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers
While Wembanyama is only beginning to write his story, James is beginning to wrap up his career. What the future holds for him is unknown, and it very well may depend on how the playoffs unfold. There’s real speculation that James could leave the Lakers this upcoming offseason, and of course, at the age of 41, retirement always has to be considered a possibility at this stage of the game.
Even in his 23rd season, James is still going strong (20.8 PPG, 7.1 APG, 6.1 RPG, 51.2 FG%), but even he’s aware that guys like Wembanyama are taking over the league. Whether or not James can hold off Wembanyama and the other top teams in the Western Conference is one of the big storylines of the postseason, but without Doncic or Reaves, that task has become all the more challenging for one of the NBA’s all-time legends.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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