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Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif
While Victor Wembanyama may seem like a unique player, his on-field performance isn’t unique, according to Chris Mullin. The former member of the famed Run TMC believes the Frenchman strongly resembles another Hall of Famer.
He’s so unique in the NBA landscape that LeBron James didn’t hesitate to call him an alien, giving him an already legendary nickname even though he’s only 21 years old. It must be said that Victor Wembanyama didn’t take long to make a strong impression on the basketball court. Even before making the jump across the Atlantic, he was already setting the records in the French league.
Once he arrived in the United States, the center was able to turn the heads of fans and observers thanks to his atypical profile. Measuring over 2.20 meters with a wingspan of 2.44 meters, an all-time NBA record, the Spurs star is a true giant who had no trouble becoming the most frightening scarecrow in the entire league. But where he stands out from the competition is in his style, which is very unusual for a center.
Chris Mullin compares Victor Wembanyama to Ralph Sampson
Even in the three-point-centric 2020s, Wemby is no ordinary big man. He attempted more than eight shots from behind the arc this season and isn’t afraid to distance himself from the rim, du to being thinner than average at his position. But is he really that unique? Chris Mullin didn’t think so back in October 2024, with the former Warriors player comparing him to an ’80s legend:
If you look at Ralph Sampson in his Virginia days and his early career before injury, a version of that. Yeah, he’s done some things like some of those crazy catches in the paint and alley-oops that only he can do. But I must admit a version of that, I felt like I’ve seen. But that’s what sports is all about, watching something and making it better.
That’s what Kobe did by trying to emulate Michael Jordan. That’s how this game keeps maturing and getting better. I’m sure he didn’t watch Ralph Sampson, but I know when I see something. I’m like, “Wow, that’s a version of that.”
This isn’t the first time Wembanyama has been compared to Hakeem Olajuwon’s former playing partner, and rightly so, as Sampson had a nearly identical physique and an atypical ability to dominate the game for a big man. However, we hope he doesn’t have as many physical issues as the Hall of Famer, whose career was quickly derailed by health issues.
