Victor Wembanyama

Well, well. So it turns out the 7-ft. 4-in. Frenchman with the 8-ft. wingspan and the fluid skills of a perimeter player will indeed carry basketball into the future. The NBA has never seen someone who looks like Victor Wembanyama, 22, with his combination of length, hoops IQ, and ability. “Wemby" has led the NBA in blocks per game in each of his first three seasons, and this season became the youngest player to be named Defensive Player of the Year and the first to win unanimously. He was also an MVP finalist, helping lead the San Antonio Spurs to their first 60-plus-win season in a decade and first trip to the NBA Finals since 2014. Some of his stat lines are comical, such as his 39-point, 15-rebound, five-block effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves in San Antonio’s Game 3 Western Conference semifinal win in May; in November 2024, Wembanyama scored 50 points, including eight three-pointers, in just 26 minutes against the Washington Wizards. Wembanyama’s long, thin frame makes him susceptible to injury. He has missed time, or operated under a minutes restriction, every year. But if he can maintain good health throughout his career, Wembanyama could be the defining player of his generation.