Victor Wembanyama’s first few years have put him in some rare company, and at 22, he’s already checking off milestones most players never touch at any age. He’s the NBA’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time All-Star, an All-NBA First Team selection, and he already has a Finals appearance on his résumé.
That kind of start deserves a serious comparison, and when you stack the best 22-year-olds of the 21st century against each other, Wembanyama lands near the top of the list.
At No. 5 is Kevin Durant, who was already a terror on the offensive end at 22. He won his first scoring title in the 2009-2010 season, becoming the youngest player in league history to lead the league in scoring, then followed it with another in 2010-2011. He also helped turn the Thunder into a Western Conference force, guiding them to two playoff trips and a run to the West Finals in 2011.
No. 4 goes to Derrick Rose, whose prime may have been brief but was electric. Taken first overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, Rose delivered on the hype by 22 with two All-Star selections and an All-NBA nod.
The signature moment came when he became the youngest player in league history to win MVP, the first Chicago Bull to claim the award since Michael Jordan. That season, he led Chicago to a league-best 62 wins and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
Wembanyama checks in at No. 3, and the reason is simple: the start has been outrageous. He already owns a pair of All-Star appearances and an All-NBA First Team selection, and his biggest individual honor is the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award, which he won unanimously.
He also helped the Spurs return to Western Conference power, pushing San Antonio to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2014. With him as the franchise’s centerpiece, the Spurs moved from a long rebuild to becoming a favorite to win the championship in 2027.
LeBron James sits at No. 2, and even as a rookie the expectations around him were enormous. The league was looking for its next Michael Jordan-level superstar, and James came in and delivered early with three All-Star selections and one All-NBA team.
Like Wembanyama, he also carried his team to the Finals, except for Cleveland it was the first time in franchise history. By 22, there was a real argument that LeBron was already the greatest player in Cavaliers history.
Kobe Bryant takes the top spot. His resume at 22 was the deepest of the group, with an All-NBA First Team selection, an All-Defensive Second Team nod, and three All-Star appearances.
He also had the strongest winning case, having helped the Lakers win the 2000 and 2001 championships. His 2001 postseason was especially staggering: 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game as he and Shaq powered Los Angeles to a 15-1 playoff record.
Wembanyama being mentioned in the same breath as Kobe, LeBron, Durant, and Rose says everything about how fast his career has taken off. At 22, he’s already in elite territory.
In Other News...
Billy Donovan Just Confirmed What Spurs Fans Are Starting To Feel
The Spurs have added a major name to their bench, bringing in Billy Donovan as their lead assistant head coach. For a franchise that has spent the past several seasons trying to rebuild its edge while staying true to its identity, the move signals a clear intention to lean on proven experience. Donovan arrives with the kind of resume that turns heads right away, a Hall of Fame coach with NCAA titles and NBA head coaching experience.
San Antonio has been searching for every possible advantage as it continues shaping the next stage of its future, and this is one of the more interesting ones. A hire like Donovans does not just deepen the staff, it changes the feel of it, adding another voice with a long track record of high-level decision-making. The bigger question now is how quickly that expertise gets translated into tangible progress for a team still building toward something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Harper Could Decide How Far The Spurs Really Go
Dylan Harper already gave the Spurs a glimpse of what his passing can do in his rookie season, averaging nearly four assists per game off the bench and finishing among the leagues top five rookies in assists. For a young guard learning the pace of the NBA, that was a promising start, especially on a team that has been searching for more steady creation around its core.
The next step is bigger than just logging more minutes. San Antonio needs Harper to become more effective in half-court playmaking, where the game slows down and late possessions tend to expose weaknesses, and that growth could go a long way toward easing the Spurs offensive issues when it matters most. With a larger role in playmaking expected this season, how quickly he sharpens that part of his game may end up shaping how far the Spurs can climb. [Read more 🡒]
Former Spurs Coach Pushes Back On Easy Finals Collapse Explanation
Sean Sweeney is pushing back on the simplest explanation for why the Spurs came up short against the Knicks in the NBA Finals. The former San Antonio associate head coach, now leading the Orlando Magic, pointed to the grind of the playoff run and the kind of late-game execution issues that can swing a series, rather than stopping at the idea that the team was merely too young to finish.
That distinction matters because the Spurs had already shown plenty of backbone earlier in the postseason, handling pressure in a way that suggested they were capable of weathering the moment. The frustration in the Finals was more about losing control of leads and sharpening the details when games got tight, and that is where the offseason work now turns, with an emphasis on clearer decision-making and better cohesion when possessions matter most. [Read more 🡒]