According to NBA legend Gilbert Arenas, young star Victor Wembanyama is on track to become the NBA’s first billionaire athlete on contracts alone. Speaking on his podcast, Arenas explained how Victor will set a new bar for career earnings in the NBA.
“Wemby’s gonna be a billionaire while he’s playing. Faster than LeBron was and then the generation after that. I’m not even talking about off the court, I’m talking about on the court.”
“Wemby’s gonna be a BILLIONAIRE while he’s playing. Faster than LeBron was and then the generation after that…”
Gil on Victor Wembanyama’s future💰bag pic.twitter.com/0rsEHxC1S6
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) May 30, 2024
No player in NBA history has earned $1 billion on NBA contracts alone, and LeBron James (4x NBA champion) is the closest one so far with a cumulative count of $479 million for his career. Victor, who was drafted first overall in 2023, is going to find it near impossible to reach the $1 billion mark but if anyone is capable, it’s got to be him.
As a partner with Nike, Wemby has already earned over $100 million in endorsement deals alone and it’s just the start of his worldwide marketing campaign. On the court, the 7’4″ center from France signed a 4-year, $55.1 million contract with the Spurs, the highest-earning deal of any rookie in the 2023 class.
At just 27 years old, it’s just the beginning of money-making opportunities for the 20-year-old star. Assuming he continues his trajectory as an all-time great NBA player, Victor is going to get the max every time. For the 2023-24 season, the maximum any team can offer is $47.6 million per year and that number is projected to rise as the NBA increases in viewership and popularity.
So while it’s not impossible for Victor to cross the $1 billion mark (excluding endorsements), I don’t think it’s a realistic goal for him or any NBA player. That kind of money would not only require amazing talent but also sustained greatness over decades at a time. Putting that kind of pressure and expectation on a guy so young is unfair, even for one with as much potential as Wembanyama.
Victor Wembanyama Says The Best Is Yet To Come
Victor has more than lived up to the hype so far, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game on 46% shooting. He was the unanimous Rookie of the Year and was also a serious candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
As long as he stays healthy, every team in the league will monitor Wembanyama and they will be ready to pay him when/if he leaves the Spurs. With just 71 matches under his belt, Victor is bound to get even better, and as his game improves, so too will his value as a player.
“I would say that I am currently at 15% between my first NBA game and what I hope will be my prime,” said Victor on his development as a player.
Victor showed tremendous growth from the first half of the season to the second and one can hardly imagine the leap he’ll make from year one into year two. As a 7’4″ superstar who can do virtually everything on the court, Wembanyama is every GM’s dream and his potential is close to limitless.
For now, I still think it’s too late to make any conclusive statements on Wembanyama but we can be pretty sure that he’s set up for a long, successful, and rewarding career in the NBA. Even if $1 billion is off the table, Victor can still shock everyone by matching LeBron’s level of fame, production, and riches. He’s obviously got a long way to go, but the kid is off to a legendary start.
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