San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is such a unique talent that he can't be compared to just one all-time great. Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins have gone on record to say that his game is a cross between Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Durant .
That cross-comparison makes a lot of sense because Wembanyama has become significantly stronger this season and has demonstrated his ability to initiate and take contact while making baskets. Victor's outside stroke has also looked smoother, and we've seen outside shooting improve as well.
However, after scoring 31 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, dishing out four assists, blocking six shots, and coming up with three steals while going 3-6 from 3-point range, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix gave Wemby another cross comparison — an upgraded one.
Wembanyama is just a career 33.8 percent three-point shooter, which is far off from Curry's 42.3 percent career average from downtown; however, the 21-year-old Frenchman has not only learned how to shoot logo 3-pointers but also looks comfortable shooting them these days.
Towards the end of the second quarter of the Spurs' Sunday afternoon game against the Brooklyn Nets , there was a sequence where Wemby blocked two shots on the defensive end and then went for the two-for-one play by casually pulling up and swishing a logo 3-pointer.
Sure, Russell averaged a ridiculous 22.5 rebounds per game and Wemby is averaging "just" half at 10.8 rebounds per game, but his six blocked shots on Sunday to follow-up his 9-block effort versus the Pelicans gave him a 6.0 blocks per game average so far this season, which is right around what Bleacher Report once wrote Russell would have averaged if blocks were recorded during his era.
Last week, Garnett talked to Paul Pierce on their podcast about spending time with Wembanyama during the summer. KG said Wemby does not just want to be like the other seven-footers in the game, and he likened his game to a cross between KD and Shaq. Their former teammate and ESPN figure Perk doubled down on that cross comparison after Vic's 40-point opening night.
"Over the last 10–15 years, even when I was playing, that was the most dominant performance I've ever seen on opening night for a team," Perk shared . "I mean, do you realize who he was going against? He was going against the Dallas Mavericks — who, by the way, I believe are going to be one of the best defensive teams in the league because of their front line… We're talking about if Shaq and KD had a baby, you'd get Victor Wembanyama ."
Garnett and Perkins have a good argument there, too, just as Mannix has. However, if Wembanyama cannot be compared to a single player and experts are coming up with multiple cross-comparisons to describe his game, then maybe it's time to accept the reality that we have never seen anything like Victor before and that he is the first, and probably the last, Wemby. Unless the rest of the aliens come down here, too.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
