Victor Wembanyama is doing more than just living up to the hype-he’s reshaping the NBA in real time. At just 21 years old, the Spurs’ towering French phenom has already racked up a Rookie of the Year award, battled through a serious health setback, and now has San Antonio looking like a legitimate championship threat.
And we’re not talking about a flash-in-the-pan hot streak. This feels sustainable.
This feels real.
What Wemby is doing on the court is already historic, but his influence stretches far beyond the box score. Front offices across the league are now doubling down on size, length, and versatility-traits that used to be seen as luxuries, but are now borderline prerequisites.
Wembanyama has shown that betting on upside, even when a prospect is raw, can be worth the gamble. His combination of skill, vision, and defensive presence has redefined what a modern big can be.
There may not be another player quite like him in the pipeline-he’s a unicorn for a reason-but teams are certainly trying to find the next closest thing.
And yet, what might be most impressive about Wemby’s rise isn’t just the stat lines or the highlight-reel plays-it’s the maturity. The leadership.
The way a 21-year-old has already become the emotional and cultural anchor of a franchise. Kendrick Perkins spoke about this on a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast, and he didn’t hold back.
“He’s one of the best young leaders in basketball,” Perkins said. “Wemby.
He has an old soul. A lot of people made fun of the stuff he did with the drums and all that, but that’s leadership.
When you see all the guys rally around him and support what he’s doing, there’s nothing else you can say about that.”
That kind of presence is rare, especially from someone so early in their career. But Wemby isn’t just leading with words-he’s setting the tone with his actions. Perkins went on to describe how Wembanyama handled his return from injury, not by demanding the spotlight, but by embracing the team-first mentality.
“You know what leadership is? It’s losing yourself in the team,” Perkins said.
“You know what a young leader looks like? It’s coming back from being injured and you f***ing come in off the bench for six or seven straight games and you’re not complaining.
And when the game starts, you’re the first person up off the bench rooting for your f***ing teammate. That’s what leadership is.
Leadership is Victor Wembanyama to the max.”
That kind of praise doesn’t come lightly from Perkins, who’s not exactly known for sugarcoating his opinions. But it speaks volumes about how Wemby is viewed inside NBA circles-not just as a generational talent, but as someone who elevates the people around him.
The league has seen its fair share of prodigies who couldn’t handle the pressure, or who bristled at the weight of expectation. Wembanyama, on the other hand, seems to thrive in it.
He’s not chasing headlines-he’s earning them. And the scariest part?
He’s still years away from his prime.
We’re watching the early stages of something special. Titles may come.
Accolades will pile up. But what Wemby is already doing-on the court, in the locker room, and across the league-is bigger than any one season.
He’s not just playing the game. He’s changing it.