When Giants Fly: The Grace and Power of Victor Webanyama

Kaitlyn Nielsen | Sport Editor

Picture description. / Photo by 'username', licensed by Envato.com.

Victor Wembanyama has quickly become one of the most dynamic players in the NBA. The combination of height, skill, and mobility is a rare blend of qualities that contribute to his elite ability to have guard-like ball handling, perimeter shooting, and rim protection. These contributions alone have made him one of the most versatile athletes in professional basketball currently. 

Wembanyama started his career back in France at the age of 15. He began playing for the team Nanterre 92, later moving to Metropolitans 92. During the 2022 to 2023 season under the Metropolitans 92, Webanyama had a standout season. He averaged over 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. These statistics earned him the French LNB Pro most valuable player award. This title helped him gain global attention, propelling him into the limelight. His dominance on the court led to him being the overall number one pick in the 2023 NBA draft, being selected by the San Antonio Spurs. 

His rookie season turned out to be very promising for the Spurs. Wembanyama outscored and outplayed the competition, averaging around 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. His overall skill and talent shown throughout the duration of his first season led him to win the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award. 

This award didn’t slow down Webanyama; he continued to outperform the next season. In the 2024-2025 season, over the course of 46 games, Webanyama put up an average of 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. 

His consistent performances established him as a dominant defensive player. He furthered his improvements on the offensive side as well during this season. His shooting range and confidence on the court showed tremendous improvement. 

Unfortunately, all positives must have negatives, and Webanyama was not left untouched. In February of this year, the Spurs announced that he would be missing the rest of the season due to a health setback. Later, it was revealed that Webanyama had experienced a blood clot in his right shoulder, a diagnosis that raised a considerable amount of concern throughout the league. 

After spending time out, Wembanyama has been making it up during the early weeks of the NBA season. He has quickly risen back to the top of the league with his performances. Within the early season, he has averaged 34.5 points and 13 rebounds. Notably, Wembanyama currently leads in the league for rebounds per game and is placed near the top for blocked shots per game. The gains seen across the board for the player suggest that he is evolving to the pace and physicality of the NBA. 

The drastic differences between his first season and recent seasons are clear. From averaging around 24.3 points to dropping 30 points a game now, he draws conclusions about more efficient offensive plays and confidence overall. He's also made quite a bit of improvement in rebounding, from averaging 11 to 14.6. Webanyama has also maintained his elite shot-blocking ability, ranking among the top players in the league in this category. Even though Webamyana is trending upwards during the early season, these numbers may fluctuate, and injuries are always unpredictable. However, these upward trends are significant and they illustrate his ability to bounce back from injuries, to build upon prior experiences, and to refine his game play in ways to help impact both individual and team performance. 

As the 2025 season progresses, the trajectory for Wembanyama is not only living up to expectations, but it is on course to set a new standard for what the future of the NBA could look like.