Kevin Durant is in the midst of his 16th NBA season. He has played with and against some of the greatest players in league history, including future Hall of Famers like Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
But even someone as accomplished as Durant has never seen anyone like the French phenom in San Antonio.
Durant and the Suns faced Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs twice this week, giving basketball fans a couple of opportunities to see the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft square off with the All-Star forward. Wembanyama walked away with two wins, most recently scoring a career-high 38 points in San Antonio's 132-121 victory over the Suns on Thursday night.
MORE: This Victor Wembanyama play is impossible to guard
During the "Hooper Vision" alternate broadcast of the Warriors-Thunder game on Friday, Quentin Richardson and Dorell Wright spoke to Durant about Wembanyama's incredible potential. Richardson introduced the topic by asking Durant about the rare experience of defending a player who could shoot over him.
"When he raised up and shot the ball, I was like, 'There's no way I'm gonna be close to this.' So, I'm just gonna play hard and contest, man, because either you're gonna foul him, or he's just gonna make the shot," Durant said. "If he misses, it's all on him.
"He's different, man. He's long, athletic, mobile. He can shoot it. He's got skills. He's tough."
KD talks his matchup vs. Wemby on #NBAHooperVision 🗣️
— NBA In-Season Tournament (@NBA) November 4, 2023
Tap in and watch on the NBA App: https://t.co/b57zSdz8rA pic.twitter.com/TlmOlHegY9
Durant also praised Wembanyama for his defensive versatility, saying he respects the 19-year-old's "competitive nature."
"He got down low and guarded [me]," Durant said. "Somebody like him, he's so tall, you try to get into his body. You try to create some space somehow by stopping his momentum. But he's still long, and he can recover pretty fast. ... He's gonna be a problem, man."
Wembanyama has only played in five regular season games, but he has already made history. He is the first player since Shaquille O'Neal to total 100 points and 10 blocks in his first five career games, per ESPN Stats and Info. He also joined Durant and James as the only teenagers in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in a game.
While Durant acknowledged that Wembanyama may go through growing pains in his first season as coaches develop schemes to stop him, he has no doubt that Wembanyama will live up to the hype.
"I think he's the real deal," Durant said.
