San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama is widely regarded as one of the most talented young players in the NBA. While his size and athletic prowess already hint at his potential to be one of the best players in the game, it is the 22-year-old’s ambition and obsession with pursuing excellence that could be far more terrifying.
At just 22, Victor Wembanyama has already established himself as one of the future faces of the NBA. Along with being the unanimous DPOY, the big man also finished third in MVP voting last season, a truly remarkable feat. Still, it clearly isn’t enough for the Spurs’ superstar, as he continues to find ways to improve.
Wembanyama’s path to greatness has led him to work out with several NBA legends, with Jamal Crawford emerging as the latest addition to that list. While speaking about training the 22-year-old on the “Cousins” podcast, Crawford was in awe of Wembanyama, as he stated:
“I’ve never seen nothing like it. I’ve never ever seen somebody who can process- like some people can learn it, but not a lot of people can apply it. They can hear what you’re saying, but they can’t go do it themselves.”
“He could do it quicker than I’ve ever seen. Like, the way he was breaking stuff down, like, ‘Oh, I got it. Got it.’ And I’m going to tell y’all this because I have never told nobody this on no podcast I’ve done. I’m telling you all this because y’all family. I always said I had 10 moves that, if I ever made the All-Star Game, I was going to do. I gave two of those to Wemby.”
As one of the most creative scorers in NBA history, Jamal Crawford struck fear into the hearts of opposing defenders every time he brought the ball down the court. While the notion of a big man replicating Crawford’s smooth dribbling is outrageous, it doesn’t seem impossible given Victor Wembanyama’s versatility.
Apart from his talent, Crawford also praised the way the 22-year-old conducts himself in front of the media and his overall maturity. But the aspect of Victor Wembanyama that got the legend’s attention was his curiosity and his desire to improve.
“Everything’s intentional, and he’s curious. He doesn’t know it all, but you can tell he wants to know it all,” Crawford continued. “Bro, all he did when he got all of us was try to get the Infinity Stones. Okay, I’m going to get that from him, right? Like he’s building a superpower. Like he’s building a machine that we’ve never seen.”
“He’s reading; he’s processing things differently. He was like, ‘Man, why is this next generation so worried about fame? Why are they not chasing the game?’ I’m like, ‘Bro, are you 50?’ Like, your thinking is so different. This is a future billionaire, right? 21 years old at the time and thinking like this.”
Although he is still young in his NBA career, Victor Wembanyama carries himself with an uncommon maturity. While known for his esoteric approach to training both mind and body, which even involved training with Shaolin monks last summer, Wembanyama is clearly charting out a completely different path than any other NBA player before him.
In many ways, the Spurs’ superstar is placing himself in the best position to be great. With a single-minded dedication to etching his name in the annals of history paired with a sheer competitive desire to win, there is no telling what Victor Wembanyama could achieve in the coming years if he remains healthy.
Coming off a loss in the NBA Finals, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will undoubtedly be a team to watch out for this season. Although some have expressed doubts about San Antonio’s ability to return to the big stage, the 22-year-old’s holistic improvement this summer could be the key to proving these naysayers wrong.
