Allen Iverson Only Has 2 Words for Victor Wembanyama as Rookie Season Nears Its End

Published 03/21/2024, 10:00 AM EDT

All eyes of the basketball world are on the awards and accolades candidates as the 2023-24 regular season nears completion. One of the most popular ones among these awards, recognizing fresh talent every year, is the NBA Rookie of the Year honor. A majority section of the fans and experts are placing their bets on San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama to take the award home. Allen Iverson, a former RoY himself, is no exception to this situation.

The 11x All-Star in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated faced the question of hype around Victor Wembinyama in his rookie season. “Well deserved,” he replied. Iverson feels Wemby is something the world hasn’t seen before. He even called the 20-year-old a blessing for the league. “We just evolving. We’re just getting better and better… It’s just more eye-opening… To the world… And the progression that we have in our league is just something else, man,” AI stated.

It is worth mentioning that Allen Iverson was himself awarded the 1997 Rookie of the Year award, so his opinion on the matter holds a certain value. Allen had averaged 23.5 points per game, 7.5 assists per game, and 2.1 steals per game in his rookie season. His total points in the season were 1787. Notably, in terms of stats, Victor has a significant edge over most of his rookie-year competitors.

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The French sensation has averaged 20.1 points per game this season, along with 3.5 assists and 10.5 rebounds per game. But there is one category where he leads the league. Wemby is averaging 3.5 blocks per game, at least 1 block more than his closest competitor Walker Kessler, who averages 2.5 blocks per game. It is a stunning feat for a rookie to lead the league in a major statistical category.

Moreover, he has already achieved stat lines not seen in the league before. Along with becoming the youngest player to achieve a 5×5 in NBA history, he also became the first player ever to record 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks while making 5 threes as well.

While Wembanyama is among the fan favorites to win the Rookie Player of the Year, there are some other names who have their eyes set on the award as well.

Other rookies running close to Victor Wembanyama

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The first name on the list is Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren. Chet has averaged 16.8 points per game this season, along with 2.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game. Although he may seem to fall short in terms of stat-line as compared to Victor, he, however, is not so behind in total points. Holmgren has managed 1128 points so far this season, while Wemby has 1248.

Victor Wembanyama Goes 26 Year Into NBA History to Join Tim Duncan for Massive Milestone

Another rookie in the competition is Charlotte Hornets’ Brandon Miller. The 21-year-old has 1035 points so far this season, averaging 16.7 points per game. However, what may set apart the Spurs’ rookie this season is his hunger to push further, as he himself believes that is not even close to his full potential yet.

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“I’m not even close from being at my best so … I don’t see my progression stopping anytime soon so it’s good, good for confidence and, you know, there’s a lot to correct, a lot to adjust,” he stated after last week’s win over Brooklyn. While the others have competed really well, Wemby seems to have the RoY award locked.

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Written by:

Khelendra is an NBA writer at Essentially Sports, where he brings insightful analysis and engaging content to basketball enthusiasts worldwide. With a passion for the game cultivated from his own experiences as a basketball player, he has represented his school team in numerous tournaments, honing both skills and an intimate understanding of the sport. Khelendra holds a PG Diploma in Digital Media from a reputed university, providing him with a solid foundation in multimedia storytelling and digital content creation.

Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth

Allen Iverson Only Has 2 Words for Victor Wembanyama as Rookie Season Nears Its End

Other rookies running close to Victor Wembanyama

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