San Antonio won the Victor Wembanyama lottery in May, and within the next few months, we might have a sense of how the Spurs’ likely first-round draft pick’s skills translate to the NBA.
But before then, the 19-year-old sensation, who has wowed at the highest amateur levels, has powered his French professional team Metropolitans 92 to the finals this summer which begin today at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be streamed on the NBA app and nba.com.
AS Monaco, a team with several former NBA players, will host the first two games of the five-game series.
Schedule of the best-of-five LNB Finals
Whether Wembanyama helps bring home the first championship for Metropolitans 92 may have little correlation his future success in the NBA with the best players in the world.
And, it’s a bit of apples and oranges to compare a stellar high school career like LeBron James, a one-and-done college career like Anthony Davis or even a four-year college career like Tim Duncan’s – the Spurs’ last No. 1 pick. So here’s a look at the how his stature compares with others who have played in the NBA.
Who else have the Spurs drafted 1st overall?
What we do know is that Wembanyama has some very big shoes (20.5, according to footwearnews.com), and should he end up in Spurs jersey he will be stepping into some proverbial big shoes, too: Hall of Famers David Robinson and Duncan.
So for now, we can compare the very basics: Wembanyama’s height and weight to the stars he’ll be competing against and some of the NBA’s greatest.
Who are the tallest players ever in the NBA
Once Wembanyama steps on the floor in a regular season game this October, he will join a fraternity of the 25 tallest players in NBA history. He did not attend the NBA combine, so there’s no official record now of his height, but most say he’s 7’4″ and estimates have ranged from 7’3″ to 7’5″. How that compares to others who have played in the league.
Tallest NBA players in the 2022-23 season
Had Wembanyama played during he 2022-23 season, he would have tied the Rockets’ Boban Marjanović as the tallest player in the league. He’s an inch taller than the Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis, who earned the nickname as “the unicorn” shortly after entering the NBA because a mix of size and talent similar to Wembanyama. With that moniker taken, James once called Wembanyama “The Alien.”
How will Wembanyama’s body fit into the NBA
While Wembanyama will stand above nearly of the 4,800 men who’ve played in the NBA, his estimated weight is only 5 pounds heavier than the median player in the 2022-23 season who was 6’6″ and 215 pounds – just a pound lighter than Michael Jordan, according to nba.com.
If you put every NBA player’s height and weight on a single chart, you’ll see Wembanyama’s 19-year-old frame is much closer to rail-thin Manute Bol than Gheorghe Muresan. Some of speculated, though, that modern training techniques will help Wembanyama build muscle he’ll need for the rigors of the NBA.
How Wembanyama’s weight and height compare to NBA players
How Wembanyama’s wingspan compares
Although intimidating to anyone he’s covering, Wembanyama’s 8-foot wingspan is still a couple inches short of the longest recorded in the NBA combine’s history. Tacko Fall, who played in China most recently last season, set the bar in 2019 at 8 feet 2.25 inches.
As for this year’s draft class who attended the combine, Wembanyama’s estimated 8 feet of arm length edges out 7’3″ Purdue center Zach Edey’s wingspan of 7 feet 10.5 inches.
Both Edey and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, the only two players over 7 feet at the combine, have announced plans to return their respective schools in the fall. Edey will attempt to help the Boilermakers avenge their first-round loss to a 16 seed in March.
