Victor Wembanyama’s dominance on court is remarkable. He is scoring nearly 20 points per game. Fans have a lot of expectations from him given the fact that he might be the next big thing since LeBron James.
His physical characteristics are most notable for his 7-foot-4 height and 8-foot wingspan, which not only distort people’s perceptions but also the dimensions of the court. With teleportation-like movement abilities and bursts of ball-handling and shooting prowess, the Spurs sensation seems to have limitless potential on both ends of the court. Despite his impressive performances, France’s coach revealed areas on which Wembanyama would need to work harder.
Wembanyama’s debut jersey fetches $762K in auction
According to the Sotheby’s website, Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs jersey from his NBA debut went up for $762,000 at auction, exceeding initial estimates of between $80K and $120K. The Sotheby’s website mentions that Wembanyama wore this jersey during the second half, so it appears that this was just one of the jerseys he wore against the Dallas Mavericks on October 25.
Though it is far less than the price for a rookie jersey in general, the amount is a record for a player’s rookie jersey sold during his rookie season. For Kobe Bryant’s only known photo-matched rookie season jersey, that amounts to $3.69 million. The buyer in this case, who is not yet identified, might be a speculator, an enthusiastic fan, or a mix of the two.
Wembanyama has appeared to be a wonder in his early career, but there are enough expectations for him to be viewed as a disappointment, even if he makes multiple All-Star teams.
If speculation is the name of the game, spending this amount of money is essentially a bet that Wembanyama is on a Hall of Fame track. Returns have been strong through 14 games, as the Frenchman, who appears to be a future great paint defender, has essentially been the Spurs’ top offensive option since Day 1.
Collet calls for patience amidst shooting percentage concerns
The center needs to work on a few things, according to Collet, the coach of the France national team. He said, “What disappoints me a little is his shooting percentage. Not good enough”.
Collet further evaluated Wembanyama’s performances. He mentioned Wembanyama’s performance in the team’s recent game against the Sacramento Kings, pointing out that he needs to share the ball more with his teammates in San Antonio based on his shots-to-assists ratio.
“And then the connection with teammates. Against Sacramento, he took 26 shots and made zero assists. For me, it’s embarrassing,” Collet said. “But you also have to be patient, the NBA season only started four weeks ago.” Wembanyama’s professional career is off to a strong start.
He is scoring 18.6 points per game in 29.9 minutes, with 9.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 2.6 blocks.
What are your thoughts on Victor Wembanyama’s debut jersey being sold at $762K in an auction? Feel free to share with us in the comments below.
