Debates in the NBA rarely have clear answers. But one opinion we can all agree with is that San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama could become the league’s next face. Former Spurs legend Sean Elliott also believes the same, as he points out his biggest strength is his mentality.

In his latest appearance on SiriusXM, Elliott gave Wemby his flowers. “Early on when we got him, I said, he’s not like these American-born players,” Elliott highlighted. “He’s not trying to be friends with anybody. He’s trying to be friends with his teammates, and that’s about it. He has a Kobe-type mentality. He’s had it from day one. He’s not concerned about being your friend or this guy’s friend, or he does not care what anybody else is going to say. He just wants to win, and he wants to be the greatest who ever played a game.”

The Alien has been improving on his already astronomical numbers season after season. Therefore, there’s a common notion that Wembanyama will rule the NBA for decades and should have an era as no other player has seen before. It may sound strange to many people as the common notion is to think about Wemby’s physical attributes, defensive prowess, and overall efficiency. But the fact that he is such a balanced player is because of his mentality to be the best every season.

But what exactly does Elliott mean? There’s this general feeling that the American stars in the NBA nowadays are much softer than they were in the 1980s or even in the 90s. Elliott believes that the fact that some of these American players share the same locker room during national camps and have become friends means that competitiveness has gradually evaporated, which he believes someone like Wemby is reviving as the Spurs star doesn’t take any hostages.

The Frenchman comes from a foreign land and has no intentions of making friends. His one true goal ever since he joined the NBA has been to rule the league. In the past, he has shared that he is a big admirer of former Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and probably has modeled his game around him.

Although he is a very different player from Kobe, his mindset is something that every player would like to have, commonly known as the ‘Mamba Mentality.’ And with the way Wemby is playing, he would soon have something coined around his name.

In his third season, Wemby has elevated the Spurs to a proper championship contender after years of slumber. Overall, the San Antonio Spurs are a stacked unit as they possess players who can win games on their own. They are a well-rounded team even without Wemby as they have an 11-5 record this season without the Frenchman. Yet, it is the Alien who elevates them into a championship-caliber roster and is also their most lethal weapon heading into the playoffs.

Individually, Wemby has been putting up great numbers this season and is in the MVP race with the regular season almost coming to an end. The race is getting intense and with his recent performances, the Frenchman has strengthened his case to land the prestigious award despite having competitors like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and others.

Victor Wembanyama strengthens his MVP case with a strong performance vs. the Warriors

In his third season in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama has already shown signs of dominating the league. When he is at his best rhythm, he seems unstoppable on both ends of the court. There have been sequences this season when he has pulled off fantastic blocks in defense and finished the move with a three-pointer, a layup, or a dunk to make a statement. This is why he has one of the most enviable records in the NBA this season.

The Frenchman missed the last game against the Los Angeles Clippers, but he featured in the win over the Warriors, where he dropped a 41-point double-double bomb. He eventually ended the night with 41 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in a 127-113 win. The performance has worked like a charm for the youngster, helping him gain momentum in the MVP race.

Following the win over the Dubs, the Spurs have won 10 straight overall and 15 consecutive games in which Wembanyama has featured. During that phase, Wembanyama averaged 27.9 points and 12.3 rebounds. In that streak, there was a stage where Wemby recorded at least 15 rebounds in five straight games, which is the longest record by a Spurs player, since Dennis Rodman scripted history in 1995. He surpassed Tim Duncan’s and David Robinson’s career-best four-game streaks of 15 or more rebounds.

Even after doing all this, there’s a strong possibility that Wemby may not bag the MVP award this season but he is a lock for the Defensive Player of the Year award for his exceptional defensive prowess. He has been the fulcrum of this Mitch Johnson side. The Frenchman is averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, and 3.0 assists per game across 61 appearances this season while shooting 50.9% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.

He has shown growth in every season he has been in the NBA, which proves that he is here for business. His mentality, improving leadership skills, and overall enigma to openly say that he is going to be the face of the NBA in the coming years when others shy away from taking up that burden only signify that he is here to rule the NBA for years to come.