Victor Wembanyama at MSG: Comparing Spurs rookie's debut to Tim Duncan, LeBron James, other stars vs. Knicks

Gilbert McGregor

Victor Wembanyama at MSG: Comparing Spurs rookie's debut to Tim Duncan, LeBron James, other stars vs. Knicks image

Eight games into his first NBA season, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama is set to take the floor at Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. And while the rising star has played on a number of big stages throughout his career, MSG might be the biggest.

Is there any more you can ask for than the world's most intriguing rookie at the world's most famous arena?

On a nightly basis, Wembanyama continues to find different ways to wow the thousands of fans in attendance and the millions watching worldwide. Now, he's set to take the floor in the big city under the theatre lighting with an onlooking crowd filled with A-list celebrities and basketball purists alike.

If there's anything we've learned about Wembanyama, it's that he's prepared for the moment.

Ahead of Wembanyama's first game at Madison Square Garden, revisit some of the most impressive MSG debuts from some of the game's most notable stars — and a rising star.

MORE: Wembanyama is showing he is already one of the top defenders in the NBA | This Wembanyama play is impossible to guard

Best Madison Square Garden debuts of NBA players

Magic Johnson

Feb. 5, 1980 — Lakers 116, Knicks 105

  • 19 points
  • 11 assists
  • 10 rebounds

By February of his rookie season, fans were accustomed to the types of magic that Johnson would carry out on a nightly basis. A showman in every sense of the word, Johnson finished with a triple-double that powered a Lakers victory.

Michael Jordan

Nov. 8, 1984 — Bulls 121, Knicks 106

  • 33 points
  • 8 rebounds
  • 5 assists
  • 3 steals
  • 2 blocks

Seven games into his rookie season, it was clear that Jordan would be special. He finished with 33 points (on 15-of-22 shooting) in Bulls win. It was the second time Jordan scored 30-plus points as a rookie and he'd do it 31 more times after.

Wembanyama's MSG debut will come 39 years to the date of Jordan's.

Hakeem Olajuwon

Feb. 14, 1985 — Rockets 113, Knicks 105

  • 30 points
  • 25 rebounds
  • 3 blocks
  • 3 steals

There's a lot to love about Olajuwon's debut, which fell on Valentine's Day. The Dream's 30 points came on 10-of-20 shooting, 15 of his 25 rebounds came on the offensive end and he completed his masterpiece with three blocks, three steals and a win.

David Robinson

Jan. 13, 1990 — Knicks 107, Spurs 101

  • 27 points
  • 6 rebounds
  • 2 blocks
  • 2 steals

Robinson was not your typical rookie, entering the league at 24 after two years of military service. In his first-ever game at Madison Square Garden, The Admiral scored 27 points on tidy 12-of-20 shooting, the type of performance that helped him win Rookie of the Year.

Allen Iverson

Nov. 12, 1996 — Sixers 101, Knicks 97

  • 35 points
  • 7 rebounds
  • 6 assists
  • 2 steals

Six games into his rookie year, Iverson looked nothing like a rookie, stuffing the stat sheet in a win over a solid Knicks team that would win 57 games that season.

Tim Duncan

March 31, 1998 — Spurs 95, Knicks 78

  • 25 points
  • 10 rebounds
  • 2 blocks
  • 1 steal

Madison Square Garden is an important building for Duncan, who, one month prior to making his NBA debut, made his NBA All-Star Game debut at The Mecca of Basketball. 16 months after playing his first regular season game in NYC, Duncan and the Spurs won their first-ever championship there.

LeBron James

Feb. 22, 2004 — Cavaliers 92, Knicks 86

  • 22 points
  • 5 rebounds
  • 3 assists

James' storied history at Madison Square Garden began with a Sunday matinee during his rookie year. While the hype reached astronomical levels, James remained poised to lead the Cavs to victory.

Chris Paul

Jan. 21, 2006 — Hornets 109, Knicks 98

  • 27 points
  • 13 assists
  • 7 rebounds

Playing with a torn ligament in his right thumb, Paul shot 6-of-13 from the field, sank 14 of his 17 free throw attempts, dished out 13 assists and pulled down seven rebounds to impress Hall of Famer Larry Brown, head coach of the Knicks at the time.

Kevin Durant

Dec. 12, 2007 — SuperSonics 117, Knicks 110

  • 30 points
  • 5 rebounds
  • 4 assists

Durant put forth an efficient performance in New York, scoring 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting to lead Seattle to a seven-point win. 

Josh Giddey

Feb. 14, 2022 — Thunder 127, Knicks 123 (OT)

  • 28 points
  • 12 assists
  • 11 rebounds

Giddey is one of six rookies to record a triple-double at Madison Square Garden, joining a list that also includes Johnson, Michael Carter-Williams, Chuck Person, Oscar Robertson (twice) and Ben Simmons.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.