‘Not an American’: NBA’s problem with new superstar’s incredible rise
During the NBA Finals last year, Victor Wembanyama was a world away.
After injury ended his season when he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder in February, the Frenchman, who still managed to have the most blocks in the NBA despite finishing the season months early, took it upon himself to endeavour on a soul-searching journey of sorts, visiting a Shaolin Temple in China.
Victor Wembanyama celebrates as the Spurs advance to the NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
Photos of the 22-year-old with a shaved head and wearing a robe similar to the other monks began widely circulating on social media, with some wondering whether it was a headline grabbing gesture during a memorable Finals series.
During his two-week stay, Wembanyama posted videos of himself training in martial arts with monks, in what he described as an “important summer” ahead of his third NBA season.
While critics labelled the trip a PR stunt in the basketball mad country, almost a year later, Wembanyama’s form says something else.
The Spurs centre is the cornerstone of a young San Antonio team that unexpectedly rocketed into contention this year.
The French star collected 22 points and seven rebounds and helped San Antonio secure a 111-103 win over reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in game seven of the western conference final.
Most believed they were a year away from realising their potential, yet Wembanyama and co. have defied the odds, creating a conundrum for those covering the league who are hellbent on anointing a face of the NBA.
Since the league’s inception, American players have always been viewed as the face of the game. Michael Jordan. LeBron James. Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson to name a few.
And the NBA Finals this year, which will see the Spurs face off against the resurgent New York Knicks, could very well be Wembanyama’s coming out party.
It’s certainly being promoted that way. The marquee for this series — in San Antonio, in New York, in Paris and countless other points around the globe — may as well say “Wemby vs Knicks.”
LeBron James is still viewed by some as the face of the NBA. Getty
The latest version of the NBA’s one-of-a-kind big man — a title once held by the likes of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal — will have all eyes on him in this series, giving him his first chance at putting ‘champion’ on his resume.
Such is the hype, it’s not a matter of if - but when - and that will inevitably lead to debate about him being the leading player in the competition and what that means for USA basketball.
NBA reporter Brian Windhorst told ESPN, Wembanyama has a unique set of skills at his size and has what it takes to be the “face of the league”.
But even if the Spurs star is to help his team defeat the Knicks and take home the first NBA title of his career, he must continue to prove himself to win over Americans.
Nikola Jokic is still at the top of his game. nna\liam.oloughlin
“The one thing is, he is not American,” Windhorst said.
“And so, we have never had a non-American face of the NBA that has this kind of power.
“That will be the big test, if he wins, can you be that type of global icon in America when you’re not an American?”
Last year, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claimed an American-born player must be viewed as the game’s premier player.
“I don’t believe an international player can be the face of the NBA,” Smith said.
“I know they’re global iconic figures; their popularity extends globally. But the NBA is an American-born sport. And it needs to resonate in America. And if it doesn’t resonate in America, then it’s not gonna matter to America how you resonate beyond.”
The likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic have been dominant for years, although the NBA media landscape never fully embraced the Greek and Serbian stars as the face of the league.
Wembanyama sheds a tear after advancing to the Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
But Wembanyama has met no such resistance from those covering the game in a short space of time.
At 223cm with the skills of a guard and a jump shot, he could have the highest ceiling of any player in NBA history.
Wembanyama possesses the physical traits and skills that can capture the attention of a wider audience on a tabloid level.
He is joined by 21-year-old guard Stephon Castle and 25-year-old Devin Vassell, giving San Antonio the foundation of a team that could contend for years.
The French centre has already emerged as a potentially transformational player - a Defensive Player of the Year capable of blocking shots at one end and pulling up from near midcourt or Euro stepping to the rim at the other.
The Spurs host the Knicks in game one of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
