Victor Wembanyama today will aim to cement his status as the new face of basketball when he leads the San Antonio Spurs into Game 1 of the NBA Finals against a New Yorks Knicks lineup bidding to end a 53-year title drought.
Just three years after landing in the NBA as the top pick in the 2023 draft, French superstar Wembanyama is now contemplating the first NBA Finals of his career and the realization of a childhood dream.
The 2.24m Frenchman has inspired a startling transformation in the Spurs’ fortunes in a remarkably short period of time.
Photo: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
After winning just 22 games in Wembanyama’s first season, and 34 games last year, San Antonio roared into title contention this season with a dazzling 62-win campaign.
They have followed that up with a superb march through the playoffs, culminating in an against-the-odds defeat of defending champions the Oklahoma City Thunder, beaten in a Game 7 thriller on Saturday.
It has left Wembanyama well ahead of schedule on a trajectory likely to place him among some of the greatest players ever to have graced the NBA.
Michael Jordan won the first of his six NBA championships at the age of 28. LeBron James won his first championship ring at the age of 27. Wembanyama, still only 22, could slice years off those benchmarks.
James himself famously described Wembanyama as an “alien” before the 2023 draft, describing the Frenchman’s combination of physical and defensive presence, aligned with a deftness of touch and shooting prowess as virtually unprecedented.
Wembanyama has more than lived up to that billing with a string of other-wordly performances in the playoffs, where he is averaging 23.2 points per game, with 10.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.5 blocks.
Speaking after Saturday’s series victory over Oklahoma City, Wembanyama underscored what reaching the NBA Finals meant to him.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien [NBA championship trophy] is a childhood dream, and having a real shot at it, having a tangible chance at winning it — it’s a lifetime chance,” Wembanyama said. “It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
Standing in the way of Wembanyama’s date with destiny, though, is a Knicks team that have already demonstrated the ability to neutralize San Antonio’s array of threats this season.
The Knicks won two out of three meetings with San Antonio during the regular season, with their victories including a 124-113 defeat of the Spurs in the NBA Cup final in December last year.
A high-caliber starting lineup is spearheaded by All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, who is averaging just under 27 points in the playoffs, defensive heavyweight Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging a double-double, as well as the likes of Mikal Bridges and the exceptional Josh Hart.
While bookmakers have installed San Antonio as the favorites, the Knicks have benefited from a lengthy rest heading into today’s opener in Texas.
After completing an emphatic 4-0 sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals on May 25, the Knicks were able to recuperate while San Antonio and Oklahoma City traded blows in their grueling seven-game series.
Nevertheless, Knicks coach Mike Brown is under no illusions about the scale of the task facing his team, attempting to capture a first NBA Finals crown since 1973.
“It’s going to be tough,” Brown said of the Spurs. “They’re well coached.”
“They obviously have a tremendous player in ‘Wemby.’ They’re quote-unquote young to a certain degree, but they have some veterans on the team that kind of uplift the young guys and give the young guys a lot of guidance. So they’ve got a nice mix of players on their team,” said Brown, who is anticipating a physical battle from the tip-off.
“They’re a team that comes out really aggressive and hits first. Their crowd is into it, and we just have to go and make sure that we try to match or exceed their physicality to start the ball game while leaning on our standards,” he said.
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