Spurs’ Victor Wembaniama is becoming 100% realistic about becoming the face of the NBA

The The San Antonio Spurs took another step forward in their renewal this season. Victor Vembanyama he’s already looking like an All-NBA player in his second season, and the Spurs are fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference as the All-Star break approaches.

Much of the buzz around Spurs has been around Wembanyama as he made the leap to superstardom at such a young age. Before he and the Spurs play the Indiana Pacers in Vembanyama’s native France, he is dealt with the potential to be the face of the NBA in the near future.

“I would certainly take it,” Vembanyama said. “But I also keep in mind that this is not the way to approach things – thinking about becoming the greatest of all time.” This is not the way to approach things. As for me, I approach things by making sure I’m the hardest working guy in the NBA today. I want to be the one who takes his routine the most seriously and works on his recovery and everything, brick by brick.”

Vembanjama earned that label with his elite play this season, putting him at the center of discussions for both All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year. For the season, Vembanjama is averaging 24.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and four blocks per game. His ability to score from anywhere on the field his size makes him very difficult to defend offensively and he has become a nightmare for any defense trying to stop him.

Vembanjama has shown the ability and willingness to get better throughout his very young career, which should make the rest of the league scared of what he could potentially look like in a few years. His progress first became apparent when he led the French national team to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics last summer, and it has continued into this NBA season.

Vembanjama will have a chance to show those improvements in front of their home fans in Paris with a pair of battles against the Pacers on Thursday and Saturday.

Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a certificate in critical sports studies. He has a lifelong passion for sports and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.