Ralph Sampson sees Victor Wembanyama as the player who can inherit the NBA spotlight once the league’s current icons are gone.
The Hall of Fame center didn’t mince words when he spoke with Kyle Odegard of Action Network, pointing to the San Antonio Spurs star as the next big draw after LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant move on.
“He can be phenomenal as he continues to develop. He's taking his game to another level, and he is going to be the next thing to watch when LeBron (James), Steph (Curry) and KD (Kevin Durant) leave the game.”
That kind of praise lands with real weight coming from Sampson, a four-time NBA All-Star whose own career was shaped by both peak success and injury setbacks. And when it comes to Wembanyama, Sampson isn’t just impressed by the ceiling - he’s watching the climb.
Wembanyama is heading into his fourth NBA season after a huge 2025-26 campaign. He won Defensive Player of the Year, finished as an MVP finalist and helped push San Antonio to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2014. The Spurs fell to the New York Knicks in five games, but the run confirmed just how far Wembanyama has already carried the franchise.
At 7-foot-4, the French center has become one of the league’s most complete young stars, blocking shots at an elite level while continuing to expand what he can do on offense. The combination has made him one of the NBA’s premier two-way players, and it’s why expectations around him are only getting louder.
Still, Sampson drew a line between believing in Wembanyama’s future and handing him the league’s top individual honor before the season even starts.
“I don't predict MVP. You've got to play first.
Whoever wins it, wins it. But he's a candidate, for sure.”
Sampson also made sure to underline the one thing that matters most for any young star trying to turn promise into dominance.
“Stay healthy,. That's all I can say.
Keep doing what you're doing. The game has changed over the years.
If he can stay healthy, he's going to star for a long time. But if you're not healthy, you can't play.”
That message hits close to home for Sampson, whose own career was interrupted by injuries after a strong start that included Rookie of the Year honors and a trip to the 1986 NBA Finals with the Rockets.
Now, Wembanyama heads into the new season with the kind of expectations that come with helping turn San Antonio into a championship contender under head coach Mitch Johnson. The Spurs are still chasing their sixth NBA title, but Sampson’s view is bigger than one season. In his eyes, Wembanyama has the tools to become the face of the league’s next era.
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Spurs Bench Could Decide How Far This Playoff Push Goes
The Spurs have spent the early part of this season trying to make their bench look less like a gap to survive and more like an advantage to exploit. With Tobias Harris and Tarris Reed Jr. added to the mix, and familiar pieces like Keldon Johnson and Luke Kornet back in the fold, San Antonio has clearly tried to deepen the rotation around Victor Wembanyama. For a team with bigger ambitions, the minutes when Wembanyama sits have become a central measuring stick.
Dylan Harper is part of that equation, too, with the Spurs expecting him to shoulder a much larger offensive load as the second unit settles in. How quickly that group comes together may go a long way toward determining how far this playoff push can travel, because San Antonio does not need its bench to be perfect. It just needs the reserves to hold the line often enough, and maybe even tilt a few games, when the stars are off the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Are Finally Testing A Lineup That Could Define This Season
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The focus now is less on results than on fit. The Spurs want to sort out spacing, ball movement and defensive balance with this trio on the floor, using these preseason minutes to build chemistry and learn how much they can ask of the combination. It is the kind of lineup question that can linger well beyond the exhibition schedule, because the answer could help define how San Antonio structures its backcourt rotation when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
P.J. Washington Is Already Shaping A Mavericks Rookie Behind The Scenes
The Spurs got an early look at Dylan Harper in Fridays preseason opener, even if the lineup script changed before tipoff. Mitch Johnson had planned to start Harper in place of Julian Champagnie, but the personnel shuffle opened the door for Champagnie to keep the spot while Harper still made a strong first impression, giving San Antonio another reminder of why his arrival has become such a focal point for the fall.
Harpers debut fit neatly into a broader camp theme around the Spurs: the young core is being asked to grow fast, and the veterans are being asked to help steer it. Johnson and several players have already pointed to Devin Vassells progress as a leader, while across the division, Dallas has shown how much behind-the-scenes teaching matters, with P.J. Washington already working with rookie Morez Johnson Jr. on the Mavericks side of things. [Read more 🡒]