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Victor Wembanyama is the future. At least on Wednesday night, however, LeBron James and Anthony Davis remained the present.
The pair of Los Angeles Lakers superstars led their team to a 117-99 win over Wemby’s San Antonio Spurs.
Davis (19 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists) and James (16 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) led the Lakers to their 11th win on the season (11-7), holding off a Spurs team that has been surprisingly good this year (10-9).
Wembanyama did his part to keep things interesting, posting 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, though rookie first-round pick Stephon Castle struggled from the field (10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, seven assists).
It was a fun showdown nonetheless, with the battle between Wemby and the pair of Davis and James the main talking point for NBA fans and pundits alike:
Harrison Faigen @hmfaigen
Wemby is gonna be so unstoppable at some point lmao
The Lakers Chip @Lakerschipp
Lebron is 2nd guessing himself every drive because of Wemby
beast. @MARKELLisLiKE
Wemby a generational talent on the court fr
endless91 @endless913
It’s so funny to me, and maybe one of the most impressive athletic feats of all time, that Lebron is still playing bully ball at 40 years old at a top 10 level.
Lebronto @thechuku
LeBron said this 4th quarter is mine!
LeLakeShow???? @lelakeshoww
LeBron closing this out. Thanksgiving here we come
k @offbrands
Anthony Davis is a super human
Wembanyama still has plenty to work on, of course, some of which was evident on Wednesday night. His shot selection remains a work in progress, as he at times settles for too many deep threes (2-for-9 against the Lakers) rather than using his length to create mismatches on the block.
He’s also a work in progress as a creator, with two assists but four turnovers against the Lakers.
This is nitpicking, of course—the kid is 20 years old and already one of the most intriguing stars in the NBA. His upside is astronomical. James, one of the greatest basketball players to ever live, has said as much.
“He doesn’t have a ceiling,” James told reporters last season regarding Wembanyama. “He can do whatever he wants to do in his career. It seems like he enjoys the game. It seems like he puts the work in, just from the outside looking in. … I said a long time ago how special he was, and it’s really that simple.”
At some point, the NBA is going to be Wemby’s league, much as it has been LeBron’s for two decades now. Someday, but not on Wednesday night.
