‘He needs to…’ Guerschon Yabusele reveals first impressions of Victor Wembanyama before he entered the NBA

French basketball player Guerschon Yabusele initially expressed skepticism about Victor Wembanyama's potential success in the NBA despite recognizing his mesmerizing talent. Yabusele, a teammate on the French national team, voiced concerns specifically about Wembanyama being "really skinny" and needing to gain significant muscle mass to thrive in the physically demanding league.

Contrary to Yabusele's early doubts, Victor Wembanyama has achieved remarkable success since entering the NBA. He won the Rookie of the Year award and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during his debut season. His progress continued strongly into his second year, earning him his first All-NBA and All-Star selections, with no signs of slowing down. Many believe his rapid development has accelerated the San Antonio Spurs' competitive timeline.

Yabusele elaborated on his initial impressions during a podcast appearance. Recalling Wembanyama as very young and not yet a professional, Yabusele was primarily worried about his extreme skinniness, though he anticipated the NBA would help him physically develop. However, Yabusele was immediately impressed by Wembanyama's exceptional skillset, noting his ball-handling (dribbling between legs), shooting ability, and unique athletic movements like jumping off one leg at his height. Yabusele also emphasized that his first impression when playing against Wembanyama was an expectation of competitiveness.

The analysis suggests Wembanyama entered the NBA at an opportune time, coinciding with the twilight careers of established stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, creating space for a new face of the league. Wembanyama is seen as fitting this role perfectly due to his unique and captivating physical stature, his embodiment of the modern big man prototype with versatile scoring ability despite his height (over 7 feet), and his placement with the San Antonio Spurs, an organization renowned for developing talent and creating legends.