NBA – LeBron’s admission of helplessness on Wemby: “By doing this, he’s going to send me into retirement!”

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James met for the last few hours at the Fanatics Fest to discuss the King’s future retirement. And according to the latter, his illustrious career could well come to an end… because of the Frenchman.

His suppleness, displayed in every warm-up, was already well known. However, his ability to make such a splash may have come as a surprise to some. After spending ten days away from society with monks in China, Victor Wembanyama reappeared in public in New York on Saturday. He did so at a festival attended by a huge number of people, including… including LeBron James.

LeBron James pushed into retirement by Victor Wembanyama?

Just back in the States, Wembanyama received a number of invitations. One of these was an invitation to appear on The Shop podcast, hosted by James and his mate Maverick Carter. This was an opportunity for the young French interior to talk about his recent spiritual retreat, as well as other topics such as the upcoming retirement of the Lakers’ leader. First of all, with a bit of humor addressed to the King:

Victor Wembanyama: You might retire after me!

Hilarious, LeBron is under no illusions, however, and knows that his time on NBA floors is numbered. All the more so with a phenomenon like Victor destined to dominate the league in the decade to come. Moreover, in his opinion, the young French interior’s blocking skills could force him to hang up his sneakers:

LeBron James: I’m not going to be able to keep playing for that long. Besides, it would mean I’d have to face him lots more times, and if I keep countering my shots and sending them into the stands, he’ll be the one to send me into retirement! (Laughs)

It’s true that at the age of forty, seeing a youngster send your shots back into the stands can be humiliating and a source of soul-searching.

On a more serious note, Wemby believes that he will cross paths with LBJ a few more times in the league and even gave his prediction:

Victor Wembanyama: I’m sure he’s got plenty left in the tank. But if I had to make a bet on it, I’d say he’ll go on for another two seasons.

A scenario that seems plausible, and even more so considering recent rumors on the subject. Also present on stage during this discussion, NFL legend Tom Brady nevertheless offered another prediction:

Tom Brady: More than that! He’s got to make all those longevity records truly unbeatable!