Victor Wembanyama is already operating with the kind of expectations that usually get reserved for all-time greats, and Tracy McGrady just turned the volume up even higher.
On a recent episode of "Cousins," McGrady laid out a huge forecast for the San Antonio Spurs star, saying Wembanyama is set up to take over the league next season. McGrady didn’t stop at one trophy, either. He predicted the 22-year-old will capture Defensive Player of the Year, MVP, and the in-season Tournament MVP, then help push San Antonio back into championship position.
"He’s going to win Defensive Player of the Year. He’s gonna win MVP.
He’s gonna win the in-season Tournament MVP. He’s going to sweep.
So for me, I think because he’s going to be motivated and they had a big let down and disappointment this year, I’m going San Antonio Spurs to be right back in that position and to win a championship,” McGrady said.
That kind of leap would put Wembanyama in rare company. Only three players have ever won MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season: Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Wembanyama already has one DPOY under his belt. Last season, he became the youngest winner in NBA history and the first unanimous recipient of the award. He also finished third in MVP voting, earned his second straight All-Star selection, and picked up his first career All-NBA First Team honor.
The Spurs had a season that looked like it might end with a breakthrough. They finished as runners-up in the NBA Cup, put together an outstanding regular season, and reached the NBA Finals. But San Antonio came up short in the end, losing to the New York Knicks.
Even with that finish, the bar around Wembanyama keeps rising. McGrady’s prediction just made it clear how high some people think that ceiling goes.
In Other News...
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The Eastern Conference just got a lot more crowded, and the ripple effects could reach all the way to San Antonio. A major star move has already shifted the balance of power, and with another top name also headed to Philadelphia, the East suddenly looks far less settled than it did a week ago. For a Spurs team trying to map out its clearest path back to the NBA Finals, that matters because the road could look very different by the time June arrives.
The Knicks no longer look like they have the conference to themselves, and Philadelphia now has the kind of top-end talent that can change the conversation in a hurry. If the standings and playoff bracket break a certain way, San Antonio could be staring at a very different Finals matchup than the one many had penciled in. The bigger question now is whether the East has simply become more competitive, or whether it has been turned upside down entirely. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Turned Another Summer Side Quest Into A Spurs Fan Moment
Victor Wembanyama has spent his offseason treating just about every sport like a side quest, and the latest stop came in the Houston area, where he was spotted joining pickup soccer with fans. He showed up in a Paris Saint-Germain jersey, added another highlight to the summer by scoring, and then celebrated in the style of Kylian Mbapp, giving the moment the kind of flair that tends to travel fast among Spurs supporters.
It also fit a broader pattern for Wembanyama, who has been bouncing through a busy offseason that has included recent workouts with NBA players and mentors in Houston. Along with his baseball and hockey attempts earlier in the summer, the soccer run only reinforced how much he has leaned into staying active, experimenting, and turning ordinary offseason stops into something that feels a little bigger than a workout. [Read more 🡒]
Julian Champagnie Just Gave Spurs Fans Another Reason To Believe
Julian Champagnies rise in San Antonio has been the kind of steady, low-drama development the Spurs have long valued, and his new three-year extension only reinforces that fit. After appearing in all 82 games last season, he has built a reputation as one of the leagues most dependable wings, the sort of player a team can plug into almost any lineup and trust to show up every night.
Champagnie also made clear he appreciates what the organization has given him, and he said he wants to stay with the Spurs for the rest of his NBA career. The deal keeps him under contract through the 2028-29 season, giving San Antonio another reason to believe its patient approach is paying off, even if the bigger question now is how far this partnership can still go. [Read more 🡒]