Sports

Is Wembenyama Having the Greatest Rookie Season Since Lebron?

Ari Shemesh, Reporter

March 15, 2024

21 seasons ago, Lebron James finished his first career season in the NBA, and it was widely considered to be one of the best rookie seasons of all time. Throughout the season, he averaged 21 points, six rebounds and six assists per game. Over the course of his career, he has continued to grow and is now considered the goat by a large percentage of the NBA fanbase. However, a few years ago, the name Victor Wembenyama became known to every NBA fan, and now, his first official season in the NBA is coming to a close.

Leading up to the draft, many fans were speculative about how good of a player Wembenyama could really be. Some thought he might not be strong enough to compete with the NBA athletes, and others thought that he might be injury prone as a result of his,7’4”, height. This, however, has not been the case. Wembenyama, from the start, has put on a show every game, as he displayed not only his offensive prowess, but his dominance on the defensive side of the court. In his first game in the league, Wembenyama scored 15 points, as well as five rebounds and two assists. Although these were impressive stats for a professional debut, Wembenyama continued to impress as the season progressed.

So far, Wembenyama has averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks per game. These stats place him as the rookie leader in points per game, rebounds per game, steals per game, and blocks per game. Additionally, he is ranked third in assists per game.

Some would argue that Wembenyama’s rookie season so far is already the most impressive of all time. Although he is averaging similar points per game to James, he is clearly a more dominant player on defense. Additionally his versatility on offense makes him one of the biggest threats in the league.

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Unfortunately, the San Antonio Spurs are having one of the worst seasons this year, with a record of 14-50, which places them at the bottom of the Western Conference. Although his team has not had success this year, it is safe to say that Wembenyama is showing big signs of being the next big player, not only in San Antonio, but in the NBA as well.

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About the Contributor

Ari Shemesh, Reporter

Ari Shemesh, a senior at Adams, is excited to be back for his second year as a member of The Tower, and is eager to finally get back on the reporting grind. This year, Ari is hoping to spend more quality time with his friend David Nagy, amongst others (Isaac Shrader), while continuing to write for The Tower and learn valuable writing and reporting skills While his mornings are spent being an incredibly successful reporter, , Ari is starting his fourth year on the John Adams tennis team, where he dominates every afternoon. When given time to chill, Ari likes to play video games, watch movies, and watch or play sports with his family and friends. Furthermore, Ari enjoys spending his summers at an overnight camp, where this past summer break, he cleaned toilets and dishes for two months. Ari’s favorite classes in school are history and English; He is also a member of NHS, and spends time volunteering at the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley. Ari is very excited to start his final year as a reporter and a student at Adams. His one request this year is that you guys help him finish the year with more reads than Isaac Shrader.