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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 21: (L-R) Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James speak onstage during Fanatics Fest NYC 2025 at Javits Center on June 21, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Like San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James knows a thing or two about entering the NBA facing enormous expectations, and living up to them.
And like everyone else, James has been extremely impressed by what he’s seen from Wembanyama throughout his career to this point, and especially during the postseason this year.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 23: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks over the shoulder of LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on February 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
During a recent episode of his Mind the Game podcast, James shared some incredibly high praise for Wembanyama, saying that the Spurs star is able to do things on the floor that the league has never seen before.
“His ability to catch the ball with his back toward the basket, or half of his body, and be able to find the rim before he even lands? That is coordination that we’ve never seen before, and it’s not just because he’s tall,” James said. “It’s because he has the ability to do things that we haven’t seen in our league ever.”
James is completely correct in saying that we’ve never seen someone with Wembanyama’s combination of size and athleticism, because we truly haven’t. He’s a one-of-a-kind player who will be dominating the league for the next decade-plus, as long as he can remain healthy.
GettyUSA’s #06 LeBron James challenges France’s #32 Victor Wembanyama in the men’s Gold Medal basketball match between France and USA during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 10, 2024. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE. (Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP via Getty Images)
In addition to his obvious physical gifts, James has also been extremely impressed with Wembanyama’s demeanor and basketball IQ and he said that the Spurs are very “lucky” to have landed him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
“You can tell by the way he talks, you can tell by his demeanor, he knows the game. He was taught the game the right way,” James said. “And San Antonio continues to get lucky as f–k with these generational, talented, IQ, smart… David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and now Wemby.
“Guys who have this dead serious mentality where they have these horse blinders on, and they’re like, ‘The mission is the mission’, and that’s all that matters. And it’s pretty remarkable to see.”
The crazy thing about Wembanyama is that at just 22 years old, he’s probably just scratched the surface of how good he can ultimately become. That’s a scary thought for James and the rest of the league, though James might not still be around by the time Wemby reaches the peak of his powers.
Michael Kaskey-Blomain Michael Kaskey-Blomain is an experienced sports media member covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy. He has been in the industry for well over a decade with previous stops including the Philadelphia Inquirer and CBS Sports. Michael also serves as a Philadelphia 76ers reporter and insider for ESPN 97.3 and an NBA and NFL contributor for The Sporting News. More about Michael Kaskey-Blomain
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