NBA
Victor Wembanyama Opts for the Modern Era in Naming His All-Time NBA Starting Lineup
Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting. Luke is an avid golfer who finds inspiration in the way sports can bring people together and provide a distraction from the real world. He hopes to provide a little entertainment or an escape from the real world with every article he writes, even if only for a few minutes. In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke's work has appeared on The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.
Get to know Luke Norris betterPublished27 Jun 2023
If Victor Wembanyama can somehow manage to live up to the hype that’s already followed him for quite some time, the French phenom will go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history.
But that’s a pretty big if.
Yes, the 7-foot-5-inch LNB Pro A MVP has ridiculous skills on both ends of the floor. With an eight-foot wingspan, Wembanyama can easily block any shot that comes his way, and his offensive arsenal is just absurd, especially given his size. That’s why the San Antonio Spurs were so exhilarated when they won the right to take him with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
But the 19-year-old, who many have deemed the greatest prospect in league history, obviously has a long way to go before he can be mentioned among the all-time greats. And Wembanyama is certainly aware of that himself.
When asked recently to name his all-time NBA starting lineup, he was given the option to include himself and swiftly declined, saying he hasn’t yet proven anything and didn’t deserve inclusion.
So who exactly did Victor Wembanyama choose to fill out his lineup? Let’s take a look.
Victor Wembanyama names his all-time NBA starting lineup
In a recent interview with For The Win, Wembanyama was asked to name his all-time NBA starting five. And with little hesitation, he rattled off his response, even going in order from point guard to center.
He started at point guard, selecting Stephen Curry, who’s certainly earned the right to at least be in the GOAT conversation at the 1-spot. While older generations might go with a more traditional point like Magic Johnson, Curry has undoubtedly changed the narrative as his career has progressed.
At shooting guard, Wembanyama went with the obvious choice, opting for six-time NBA champion and five-time NBA MVP Michael Jordan. No-brainer there, right?
And speaking of no-brainers, the choice at small forward was LeBron James, who’s won four titles, four NBA MVPs, and recently became the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Wembanyama certainly played it smart at power forward, selecting the man who will essentially mentor him with the San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan. The “Big Fundamental,” of course, won five titles and a pair of NBA MVPs during his 19-year tenure in Texas. Duncan is expected to assist the Spurs in Wembanyama’s on-court development as he adjusts to life in the NBA.
And lastly, at center, the youngster went with four-time champ and one-time MVP Shaquille O’Neal.
So the 19-year-old certainly stuck with the modern era as Jordan was the only player in this lineup to play an NBA game prior to the 1990s.
What do you think? Did Victor Wembanyama get it right?
