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A week after LeBron James was named to a record 21st All-Star Game, 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama received his first selection.
By being named an All-Star in his second season, Wembanyama has so far lived up to the lofty projections that were thrown his way before he was drafted No. 1 last year.
In 2023, then ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski called him the “most highly anticipated player to ever enter the NBA.” Wojnarowski also said he was “maybe the greatest prospect in the history of team sports,” which would include comparisons with James, who was dubbed The Chosen One by Sports Illustrated when he was still in high school.
Early fan interest shows signs that Wembanyama is in line to carry the torch as the face of the league, especially as James and fellow West All-Star starters Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry age out.
Wembanyama was fourth among Western Conference front-court players in fan voting with 2.88 million, about 250,000 less than Durant and 500,000 less than James. He also surpassed Curry by more than 500,000 votes. The French center is fifth in jersey sales this season, behind Curry, James, Jayson Tatum, and Jalen Brunson.
It’s a welcome sight for the league—one whose viewership numbers this year have been a hot-button topic—that Wembanyama has been as good as advertised. Speaking at a press conference in Paris last week ahead of a doubleheader between the Spurs and Pacers, commissioner Adam Silver said Wembanyama has “exceeded” his expectations.
But Silver admitted many previous rising stars have had their careers derailed for one reason or another, so he continues to temper his expectations.
“I’m always still being a little bit cautious. He just turned 21, and LeBron just turned 40. So there’s the opportunity for 19 years of excellence,” Silver said.
European Expansion, Role of Sovereign Wealth
Wembanyama’s rise comes as the league continues to explore expansion in Europe, which would reportedly come in the form of an independent league. “The commercial opportunity has not kept pace with the growth of the game,” Silver said last week.
According to ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst, there is a chance that investment in a league in Europe (and the Middle East) could come from sovereign wealth funds. At the moment, sovereign funds are permitted to hold a maximum of 20% equity in NBA teams with no controlling stake, but that could change if there is a league in their region.
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