Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama isn't just living up to unprecedented levels of pre-draft hype, he's exceeding them.
Just four months into his first NBA season, Wembanyama has emerged as one of the game's most captivating players. On any given night, the 20-year-old is sure to turn in at least one highlight that will take the NBA by storm. As a result, he's already one of the league's most popular players on social media.
The NBA announced on Feb. 28 that Wembanyama had officially surpassed 1 billion video views across NBA social media platforms since the beginning of the 2023-24 season. On top of that, Wembanyama's Space Jam-esque dunk from New Year's Eve is now the most-viewed ever across NBA social media platforms with 153 million views.
Wemby looked every bit of 7'4" on this play against Boston 🤯 pic.twitter.com/sTkujr0t3a
— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2024
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Wembanyama joins elite company as Lakers superstar LeBron James (1.3 billion) and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry (1.2 billion) are the only other players to have amassed over 1 billion video views through the first four months of the season.
It speaks volumes that Wembanyama has already joined such an exclusive group alongside two all-time greats.
Given his play on the court, the popularity is warranted and very much earned.
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While the Spurs have experienced plenty of struggles this season, Wembanyama's play on the court and desire to win are signs that the franchise will turn things around sooner rather than later. And while players like James and Curry are in the twilight of their respective careers, Wembanyama's popularity could be a sign that he is in line to become the face of the league.
In addition to his popularity on NBA social media channels, Wembanyama has over 3.5 million followers on Instagram and was recently named an ambassador for French luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
Somehow, Wembanyama is finding ways to establish himself as an icon off the court while planting the seeds for what could become an all-time great career on it.
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Victor Wembanyama stats
- 28.6 minutes per game
- 20.6 points per game
- 10.2 rebounds per game
- 3.3 assists per game
- 3.3 blocks per game
- 1.3 steals per game
- 3.5 turnovers per game
- 46.6 percent field goal shooting
- 31.7 percent 3-point shooting
- 81.6 percent free throw shooting
