What was Victor Wembanyama's first season in the NBA like? Check out!

Many have heard about the beginning of his career as a Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, but they never managed to taste this special feeling. But, if you have followed the NBA In the current season, the moment has arrived. The year 2023/24 was the first for the Frenchman's promising career Victor Wembanyama.

Slender Man, as he is called, is a player born in the city of Le Chesnay, France, on January 4, 2004. At the age of 19, he entered the NBA, selected with the first pick of the 2023 Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. At an impressive 2.24m, weighing just 94kg, the giant attracts attention wherever he goes.

Before debuting in the North American basketball league, Wemby already demonstrated a lot of talent in the French teams for which he played. However, many still said that the young man was “too thin” and “raw” to perform in the biggest and best sporting competition in the world. However, Victor showed the opposite.

Even with a team still under construction, Wembanyama stood out in a surprising way. Always responsible for giving life to the squad and bringing victories that seemed unlikely, the Frenchman showed that if he has a qualified team assembled around him, he can be champion in a very short time.

In 2023/24, the pivot had incredible averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and a gigantic 3.6 blocks per game, playing in 71 games for the Spurs. The Texas franchise finished the season in 14th place in the Western Conference, with 22 wins and 60 losses. But it promises a lot for next year.

However, these statistics alone are not enough to show the impact that Victor Wembanyama had in his first year in the league. Candidate to win the Rookie of the Year Award without much competition, the Frenchman also entered the debate of winning the Defensive Player of the Year (Defensive Player of the Year, in free translation), but many argue that it should not be awarded to the Spurs center due to the team's weak campaign. Rudy Gobertof Minnesota Timberwolvesis the big favorite for the title.

Wemby swallowed every opponent in front of him. There were an impressive 254 blocks in total during his debut season in the NBA, in addition to being the second rookie center in history with the most three-pointers, with 128, one behind Chet Holmgrenalso in the current season, at Oklahoma City Thunder. Victor had a plus/minus (counting how many points were suffered and scored while the athlete was on the court) of +34.

To further demonstrate the Frenchman's greatness, Victor Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to score 1500+ points, 250+ blocks and 100+ three-pointers in the same season. For comparison, only three others have achieved this in a season at any point in their careers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon It is David Robinson.

Here are some other facts that show that the pivot really is an alien:

• Only player in history to record +30 points, +15 rebounds, +5 assists, +5 blocks and +5 three-pointers in a single game;
• First player to achieve +200 blocks in his debut season since Tim Duncan (Spurs idol);
• Only player to have +20 points, +10 rebounds and +3 blocks playing less than 30 minutes per game (average of 29.7 minutes per game);
• Youngest player to get +20 points and +20 rebounds in a game;
• Youngest player to get +40 points and +20 rebounds in a game;
• Youngest player to achieve a 5×5 (at least five in five different statistics (27 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and five blocks in the match against Los Angeles Lakerson February 24th));
• NBA: star Blake Griffin announces retirement after 14 seasons

There is no doubt that Victor Wembanyama will win the Rookie of the Year trophy for the 2023/24 season. Now all we have to do is wait, sit on the couch, turn on the television and slowly watch a generational player being created.