LeBron James called Victor Wembanyama an alien last year after watching him play against the G League Ignite, saying the word ‘unicorn’ had been thrown around a lot. Wembanyama agrees and says he isn’t a fan of being called a unicorn, preferring the alien nickname James gave him.
“That nickname has been used over and over again, so I am not a big fan of it. Just like LeBron said, everybody’s been a unicorn. But there’s just one alien, right?”
"Just like LeBron said, everybody's been a unicorn. But there's just one alien, right?" pic.twitter.com/6qXR7D3ykN
— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) November 8, 2023
The increase in calling unique players ‘unicorns’ started when Kristaps Porzingis came into the league. Kevin Durant crowned him the unicorn due to his size and shooting ability. Now, most seven-footers have a competent jump shot and Porzingis never became a big star due to injuries.
More players in the immediate future will be referred to as unicorns until the term falls out of use because every other center will be a unicorn eventually. Chet Holmgren is a unicorn already as well, starting his NBA career as a 7’1″ center who is shooting over 55% from three.
If LeBron gave me a nickname, I’d also want everyone to call me by that name instead of the boring and common ‘unicorn’ nickname.
Why Did LeBron Call Wembanyama An Alien?
We have never heard LeBron James talk about a prospect the way he talked about Wembanyama in October 2022, still over a year away from his NBA debut. The alien nickname was born out of this glowing and pretty long statement James made about Wemby.
”We’re labeling like this unicorn thing—everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years,” James said. “But he’s more like an alien—no one has seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor. I’ve never seen — no one has ever seen — anyone as tall as he is but as fluid as he is and as graceful as he is out on the floor. I mean, at 7-foot-4 or 7-foot-5 or 7-foot-3 or whatever the case may be, [with] his ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot step-back jumpers out of the post, step-back threes, catch-and-shoot threes, block shots — he’s for sure a generational talent.”
Everything that James said and what we assumed Wemby could achieve on the court is coming true. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks as a rookie and is a front-runner for Rookie of the Year. There are still aspects of his game that need work, but with his size and skill, it’ll be hard for anyone to contain what Wembanyama can achieve in the NBA.
If he avoids injuries, he can live up to the billing of being the best prospect since LeBron. If he gets to enjoy a long NBA career, many will keep a close eye to see if he can ascend into the conversations of the all-time greats. It won’t be easy, but he has all the tools to be among the most memorable players to ever enter the NBA.
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