Victor Wembanyama Joins Lakers' Kobe Bryant, LeBron James in Exclusive NBA Finals Club

Before stepping onto the NBA Finals stage, Victor Wembanyama accomplished something only two Los Angeles Lakers legends had done before.

Nov 27, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) handles the ball in front of Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The NBA Finals will get underway on Wednesday night, with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs playing host to the New York Knicks at the Frost Bank Center for Game 1, and the rising superstar set to join a couple of Los Angeles Lakers legends in a select category.

Heading into this matchup between the best of the best in the Western and Eastern Conferences, Wembanyama leads the Spurs in scoring. He’ll join Lakers legends Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as the only players this century to lead their team in scoring heading into the Finals at age 22.

Victor Wembanyama Joins Kobe Bryant & LeBron James in NBA Finals History

KOBE. LEBRON. WEMBY.

Victor Wembanyama joins Kobe Bryant in 2001 and LeBron James in 2007 as the only players this century to lead their team in scoring entering the Finals at 22 or younger 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pPQsMZ0bmY

— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2026

A pretty impressive feat, considering the company that Wembanyama is joining. Bryant went on to win five NBA titles during his two-decade career with the Lakers, while James is currently sitting at four titles after a record-setting 23rd season in the league.

James will certainly follow in Bryant’s footsteps as a Hall of Famer when he chooses to retire. Both are considered all-time greats and players who have challenged Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan for the title of greatest player of all time.

Wembanyama has a legitimate shot of continuing to be mentioned in the same breath as these NBA icons, with the Spurs being stacked with young talent and already reaching the Finals. The French import will be playing alongside Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox for the foreseeable future, putting them in the conversation to be a perennial title contender in the West.

Lakers Plan to Build a Contender Around Luka Doncic

Mar 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

With the Spurs already peaking and the Oklahoma City Thunder expected to be a serious threat in the West for many years to come, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Lakers’ brass will have their work cut out for them to compete with these Western Conference heavyweights.

The Lakers are expected to be aggressive during this NBA offseason in their efforts to build around their new face of the franchise, Luka Doncic.

A lot of tough decisions will need to be made this summer, with the immediate futures of Austin Reaves and James set to be addressed, along with Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Jaxson Hayes and other players who could hit free agency, like Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton.

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