'We're Missing Out!' NBA Legend Kevin Garnett Calls For San Antonio Spurs Fans to Appreciate Victor Wembanyama
SAN ANTONIO — The NBA is riddled with history, but even still, there's a line to be drawn between appreciating the past and hyper-focusing on it.
Whether it be appreciating seemingly unbreakable records like Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record — that was, until LeBron James went and did it — or simply looking back at great teams of the past, it's hard to not love the rich backstory of each franchise.
The San Antonio Spurs are no exception.
Between drafting David Robinson with the team's first-ever No. 1 overall pick and then having to wait for him to fulfill his military obligations or bringing a wannabe Olympic swimmer from the U.S. Virgin Islands to try his hand at professional basketball, the Spurs have their stories.
Their fans will remember Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and some — if you go back far enough — will even speak on how great "The Iceman" was when he wore No. 44 for the Silver & Black. Those legends are not hard to come by, and even now, there is history unfolding for San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama represents the newest generation of up-and-coming stars in basketball. His length is what makes him unique, but his skillset is what makes him adored. Even at just 19-years-old, he's making waves for basketball lovers across the globe — he is European, after all — and beginning to craft a legacy.
Wembanyama is far from being a true NBA legend at the moment, but his ceiling makes that a strong possibility. And one player in particular — who's already achieved that status — doesn't think that's being talked about enough.
“The problem, I think, with today is that we are so hung up on the yesteryear of the culture and the history that built the league," former Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Garnett said on the Stephen A. Smith show. "We’re missing out on greatness right in front of us."
Nov 22, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Frost Bank Center.
© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
"LeBron James is 38 motherf***ing years old, doing something we ain’t never seen [before]," Garnett said. "We've got a whole 7-6 Frenchman in the ... damn league. He’s a rookie looking like he’s a two, three-year-[veteran], looking like he’s a guard.
"Listen, Wilt Chamberlain [would be] rolling over his grave right now if we told him a 6-10 power forward was playing center."
Wembanyama's height might have been slightly exaggerated for Garnett to make his point, though it's worth noting that with the amount of blocked shots he's accrued 16 games into the season, it's easy to feel that way.
It's not often a former NBA player speaks so passionately about the players of the current generation, especially when some of the legends are wrapped up in the past themselves, but that's where Garnett stands apart.
He's fully embraced Wembanyama, LeBron, Steph Curry — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luke Doncic and Joel Embiid, even — and not only supports them, but wants to see them thrive. And as much as he wants that, he also wants fans all over to begin to focus on appreciating the greatness in front of them, not from the past.
Bold words for a league so rich in history, but when has Garnett never not been bold?
