Victor Wembanyama’s stat line in the Spurs’ 105-95 Game 1 loss in the NBA Finals looked something like this: 26 points, 6-of-21 FG, 2-of-9 from three, 12-of-13 FT, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three blocks in 38 minutes. His shooting struggles were evident, and the game-high six turnovers did not help either. The noise around his performance grew, and with the Game 2 loss, the scrutiny only intensified. While some critics no longer view him as the extraordinary player they once did, veteran analyst Colin Cowherd came to his defense.

Speaking on The Colin Cowherd Show, he defended the French phenom and argued that basketball history has many greats who have gone through painful failures before achieving greatness. He even put forward an important question:

“Who is complete at 22? We forget LeBron had to fail miserably against Dallas in the finals before he added a layer to his game. Magic Johnson, at one point, was called Tragic Johnson after a horrible final. Basketball culture is different.

“It’s been suggested, and I don’t think it’s a terrible idea. People said, ‘You know, you should call Kareem and develop a little bit of a baby hook.’ Not 13 times a game, three. Just add a dimension to it.”

Given the current circumstances and Cowherd acknowledging the idea, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook could really be the missing piece.

Through the last two games, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, two towering bigs of the Knicks, have made sure Wemby doesn’t have leverage near the rim. Just take the example of Game 1. With a minute left in the game, the Spurs were down by four, and in an effort to make it a one-possession game, Wemby tried to shake Towns off the dribble and get to the rim. The result? He bounced the ball off his knee, and the Spurs lost the game.

Then came Game 2 with a similar storyline. With 12 seconds left in a tie game, Wemby swatted away Jalen Brunson’s attempt and secured the rebound over Towns. Stephon Castle immediately recognized that the Spurs star had gained an advantage on Towns and sprinted ahead to open the lane. However, Wembanyama hesitated instead of attacking in transition.

In a costly miscue, he fired a pass toward Castle, only for the ball to ricochet off his teammate’s back as he looked the other way. It resulted in a turnover, and the Spurs lost the game.

To put things in perspective, Towns has guarded the forward for 124 possessions this season and forced nine turnovers, as per player tracking data.

While the 7-foot-5 big man still managed to score consistently, he did so through tough jumpers and deep buckets rather than paint domination. So, adding a baby hook to his offense wouldn’t hurt much. Moreover, it’s not a new idea for Victor Wembanyama. During his rookie season, the big man openly discussed adding a skyhook to his bag.

“The Kareem skyhook, hopefully someday that can be a weapon to add,” Wemby said in 2023.

And not only that, right after his debut in July 2023, when Wembanyama admitted he had no idea what he was doing in the NBA, Abdul-Jabbar stepped in to help. He said that he had felt the same way when he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969. But he also had some reassuring words for the young star.

“You have things to learn, but as you see, he’s an intelligent young man; he’ll get it done,” Abdul-Jabbar said back then.

Although he hasn’t trained under Abdul-Jabbar, Wemby did train with Hakeem Olajuwon in the summer of 2025. Speaking of his time with the fellow big man, the Rockets legend said:

“If somebody like him can jump hook, you are at his mercy.”

However, Cowherd believes that Wemby’s exposure to the Finals will only refine him and add layers to his attack, and he sought the help of history to make his point. 

Similarly, LeBron James, at 22, carried a young and inexperienced team to the 2007 Finals. Facing the mighty Spurs, headed by Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, The Chosen One had no chance. He shot just 35.6 FG against that disciplined defense.

In 2011, James suffered another loss, this time against the Mavericks. He admitted his failure, saying he “froze” and failed to deliver on the big stage. 

Then there is Magic Johnson. Despite winning a championship in his rookie year, he struggled in the postseason and was mocked as “Tragic Johnson,” especially after his costly blunder in the 1984 Finals against the Celtics.

Cowherd then pivoted to an interesting comparison with baseball.

“If you played baseball, you’re playing travel baseball from the time you’re 13. You played no other sports. Then you go to the minor leagues for four years. You get to the bigs at 26. You played so much baseball,” Cowherd added. “Some of this is the basketball culture, even with our stars, creates holes until you’re about 26 to 27. Then you got a six-year run of, you know, go look at Jordan, scored. That was it. Then he developed into a greater teammate.”

He argued that, unlike baseball, the basketball culture doesn’t allow a player to mature. In short, a 22-year-old isn’t a complete player until he develops with experience.

Victor Wembanyama still has a chance to rewrite history

Victor Wembanyama has a chance to create a piece of history of his own. Most NBA legends were older when they had their first taste of a championship. 

Michael Jordan was 28. LeBron James and Stephen Curry were 27. Giannis Antetokounmpo was 26, and Nikola Jokic was 28.

Wemby is 22, and yet to lose it all in the Finals. Moreover, he has defied age already in the process. The big man and Co. eliminated the defending champions in the grueling seven-game Western Conference Finals. Even in the Finals so far, he has produced 27.5 ppg and showcased defensive domination.

These numbers suggest that Wemby hasn’t succumbed to pressure. Instead, he has been putting up a fight.

Moreover, he can also draw inspiration from Giannis Antetokounmpo to come back from the 0-2 deficit. The Bucks’ big man pulled off a blinder, winning 4 in a row to win the championship against the Suns after going down in the opening two games in 2021.

History shows that the odds are stacked against teams that fall behind 0-2 in the NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo defied those odds. Can Wemby do the same at 22? Time will tell.