Victor Wembanyama gets a massive co-sign from the legendary Julius “Dr. J” Erving originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In the current era of NBA players, it is hard for anyone to ignore Victor Wembanyama. He has taken the league by storm since entering the league in 2023. Wembanyama joined the San Antonio Spurs with considerable hype, and he has lived up to every bit of that in the three seasons he has played.
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The 2020s have also seen a renaissance for big men, with players like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid leading the way early on. Now, it seems Wembanyama has taken the torch, and he is running away with it.
Victor Wembanyama gets huge support from Julius “Dr. J” Erving
Plenty of players from the 1970s and 1980s have given their opinion on the current era. Julius “Dr. J” Erving is one of the best players to come from that point in basketball history, and he is one of the rare examples of someone who always praises the modern-day stars.
This time, Dr. J has given his take on what Wembanyama is bringing to the sport. He believes that the 7’5″ behemoth has become the prime example of a modern-day big man shining in his position.
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MORE: Victor Wembanyama is projected to become an all-time defender like Ben Wallace and Hakeem Olajuwon
Erving can be trusted when it comes to evaluating big men because he played alongside the iconic Moses Malone. At the same time, he went up against some legendary figures like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Artis Gilmore, Bill Walton, and many more.
“I think you know the forwards and the guards dominate the game. It was a game dominated by centers in my day. As a matter of fact, the MVPs from 1966 to 1982 were all centers,” Erving said in an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson.
“Oscar Robertson was the one before, and I was the one during that year, and suddenly it became guards and forwards who were like MVPs of the league. That has been maintained today, although I think Wemby is going to change that.”
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Erving brings up a great point because many young big men will be looking at what Wembanyama is doing. They will aspire to be as impactful as he is on defense. Wembanyama sets the gold standard, and that will resonate with the next generation of basketball players.
