Can Victor Wembanyama become the true face of the NBA as a European? | Bobby Burack

For many of the NBA’s struggles in recent years, the lack of a true league player for the next decade is as high as it gets.

By every objective metric, LeBron James remains the NBA’s most popular (and divisive) player. The problem is that James turns 42 this year, hasn’t competed in a championship in more than five seasons, and may be entering the final season of his career. He is currently not a top ten player in the league.

While the NBA has continued to hold on to the stars of the past, other major sports leagues have transitioned to a new generation of stars. The NFL has Patrick Mahomes. MLB has Shohei Ohtani. The WNBA, despite its efforts to bury her, has Caitlin Clark. Even golf has Scottie Scheffler.

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The NBA, meanwhile, has struggled to turn its current top players into mainstream cultural attractions, whether it’s Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Edwards.

The league may have found its answer.

On Monday night, Victor Wembanyama showed his interview as the best player in basketball at only 22 years old. He led the Spurs to a Game 1 upset victory over the defending champion Thunder with a record 41 points, 24 rebounds. Defensively, he absolutely twisted the game with his length, timing, and shot blocking nature.

At 7-foot-4, Wembanyama is perhaps best described as Wilt Chamberlain meets Bill Russell, minus the jump shot. He can score in the paint and from 28 feet.

No, really:

It is not at all hyperbolic that Wembanyama is still an unfinished product with the talent to become one of the greatest players in basketball history. No player has ever looked like this or played like this, statements reserved only for the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James.

The question is whether he can eventually reach the same level as James and Shaq on and off the court.

The challenge is that you are from France. As OutKick recently wrote, NBA fans and players alike have been reluctant to welcome European stars. Former players Kendrick Perkins and Gilbert Arenas openly admitted that American-born athletes have a place for European players who have entered their ranks.

National identity is especially important in the NBA, where superstardom is driven as much by marketing, social media influence and cultural relevance as it is by on-court production.

Sports reporter Ryan Glasspiegel noted after Game 2 that “Wemby will test two obstacles to NBA superstardom at once: whether America can get behind the outsider and the bum.”

I think the answer is yes.

San Antonio Spurs big Victor Wembanyama attacks the rim against Minnesota Timberwolves PF Naz Reid during Game 5 of their second-round series in the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center in Texas. (Photos by Scott Wachter-Imagn)

In other words, Wembanyama is black.

Jokic and Doncic don’t just have to overcome the resistance of European players. They also faced an undeniable racial element in the way it was discussed and perceived. That is not a guess.

SPORTS ACTORS HAVE TAKEN THE Criticism of NIKOLA JOKIC TOO MUCH

Think of the hate Caitlin Clark has faced just because of the color of her skin. In 2023, Kendrick Perkins tried to convince ESPN viewers that Jokic was considered an MVP candidate only because White players were included in the curve section. ESPN also published a very misleading article referring to Jokic as “the latest white hope” after winning his first championship. Opposing players called Doncic on the court a “b—- white-ass boy.”

Naturally, the racism of Jokic and Doncic, and Dirk Nowitzki before them, has influenced the way parts of the NBA audience, especially among many African American fans, see those players.

As a Black player, Wembanyama will not face the same level of racism from fans, players and commentators as Jokic. Therefore, the surrounding discussion should not be divided from the beginning.

He also plays a style of basketball that is more empowering than international stars. Jokic and Doncic rely more on skill, speed and intelligence than excessive athleticism or raw physical dominance. Wembanyama’s game is intoxicating, from his moves to the offensive combos that pay homage to legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Simply put, Wembanyama made the SportsCenter Top 10, assuming it still exists.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama at the Frost Bank Center in Texas. (Photos by Scott Wachter/Imagn)

In addition, it seems that he has a real edge to him on the court. He took it upon himself to defend Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Monday night. He defeated them both.

However, he should stay away from political views.

Data points show that the NBA and many of its stars lost popularity in 2020 when the league openly embraced left-wing political activism. LeBron James, in particular, has never regained the broad public support he enjoyed before trying to become an activist.

Earlier this year, Wembanyama spoke out against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“PR has tried, but I will not sit here and give what is politically correct [answer],” he told reporters in January. “Every day I wake up and see the news, and I’m scared. I think it’s crazy that some people make it seem like killing people is acceptable. “

Notably, there is no evidence that ICE has “killed” civilians, which has any specific legal meaning.

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Because of both the NBA and his fame, Wembanyama is smart stick to sports and avoid cutting his potential fan base in half.

If he does, he has the potential to be what the NBA has spent years searching for: its next face of the league.