Sports
Emotional Lampard: Coventry promotion 'right up there' in my achievements
Lampard celebrates Coventry's return to the Premier League after 25 years!
Sky Sports1 min read
Sports
Spurs, Victor Wembanyama likely to share Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA Playoffs fate
TL;DR
Victor Wembanyama is poised to lead the San Antonio Spurs to significant success, potentially mirroring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's early playoff achievements. After just three years in the league, Wembanyama has helped the Spurs secure the second seed in the Western Conference.
Spurs, Victor Wembanyama likely to share Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA Playoffs fate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A large majority of fans and players have agreed that Victor Wembanyama is the going to become the new face of the league. He led the San Antonio Spurs to the second seed in the Western Conference after just three years of being drafted. There are a ton of comparisons put upon him but he could make one eerily stand out over the rest. It is because he is on his way to sharing the same NBA Playoffs fate as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Why Spurs' Wembanyama, Abdul-Jabbar are likely to share NBA Playoffs fate
Picture this, a hulking seven-foot sensation just got into the league. At the age of 22, they become slight favorites to win the MVP and lead their team to 60 wins. This is the exact track that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took enroute to the Milwaukee Bucks' first championship. He was able to do so in just his second year in the league. Victor Wembanyama has the opportunity to do the same in his third year after getting help from astounding guards like De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.
Moreover, there is a trend of extremely talented big men entering the league and leading their teams to championships that Wembanyama is traversing at the moment too. His extraordinary talents only mirror that of greats before him because there have not been players in the league to get their team to as much as success this early. In fact, Wembanyama and the Spurs are on track to follow historic teams in the NBA Playoffs.
Only the 1971 Bucks led by Abdul-Jabbar, the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers who were under Bill Walton's leadership, and Larry Bird's insane 1981 Boston Celtics were able to win it all in the NBA Playoffs with a star who was under 24 years old. These three teams along with Wembanyama's Spurs also have one other thing in common. They all missed the NBA Playoffs either a year or two before winning the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Not to mention, the Spurs are already the second team most-favored by NBA players to win it all. In an anonymous poll by The Athletic, 25.3% of 146 voters chose Wembanyama's squad to win it all. Sure, the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead this survey by garnering a whopping 50% of the votes. But, those favorites have lost to the Spurs in four of their last five games.
History is often not wrong when it comes to dictating its victors. It just so happens that the Spurs have a star who was born to be one and bears that exact first name already.
More Spurs News:
Q&A
What are the similarities between Victor Wembanyama and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's early NBA careers?
Both players entered the league as highly touted prospects and quickly led their teams to playoff contention, with Wembanyama potentially replicating Abdul-Jabbar's success in his third year.
How did Victor Wembanyama help the Spurs achieve the second seed in the Western Conference?
Wembanyama's exceptional performance, supported by talented teammates like De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, has been instrumental in the Spurs' success this season.
What historical trends are associated with talented big men in the NBA playoffs?
Historically, talented big men have led their teams to championships early in their careers, a trend that Wembanyama is currently following as he aims for playoff success with the Spurs.