3x Lakers Champion Says Victor Wembanyama Has the Skillset of Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, and More

A player who handles the ball like a guard while towering over most centers at 7'4", Victor Wembanyama is truly a special talent. He was arguably the most hyped draft prospect since LeBron James entered the NBA in 2003, and in just his third season, he's already drawing comparisons to some of the game's all-time greats, with a three-time NBA champion recently adding his voice to the praise.

James Worthy, speaking on the Road Trippin Show, shared his thoughts on what makes Wembanyama unique and outlined the blend of players he believes the Frenchman embodies.

"Wemby, I've never seen a young player like him," the former Los Angeles Laker star said. "Extremely disciplined. He reminds me of Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). ... Wemby, he's verbal, and he's a leader. We've never seen anything like him. He’s a Steph Curry shooter with Kobe Bryant's agility and has Wilt Chamberlain, and you know Nate Thurman's ferocity.

" He’s just an amazing guy, and he’s young, he’s verbal, he’s leading. I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like him," he added.

To Worthy's point, Wembanyama is the ultimate hybrid, which is what makes him so popular and one of the league's biggest draws. Players of his size don't normally average 35% from beyond the arc in a regular season. He also shot an efficient 51% from the field overall, averaging 25 points per game in the 2025/26 season.

Now, if we look at the numbers expected of him as a center, he hasn't disappointed. He averaged 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game, figures that contributed to his unanimous Defensive Player of the Year award. In fact, during the playoffs, he made history by recording 12 blocks in a single game (the most in a single playoff game by any player ever) against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

So, yes, Wembanyama shows a bit of every player Worthy, a former Finals MVP, mentioned: the scoring prowess of Kareem and Wilt, the shooting ability of Curry, the swagger of Kobe, and the right amount of aggression. Those qualities have allowed him to successfully lead the San Antonio Spurs at just 22 years old.

It might be a while until we get to witness a talent like Wembanyama to enter the league again, especially given his height.

Former NBA Champion Has High Expectations For Victor Wembanyama's Career

It's only Wembanyama's third season in the NBA, and many already consider him, at least in terms of ability, one of the best players ever to step foot in the league. It's too soon to officially place him among the GOATs, but Kendrick Perkins doesn't see that as something that's very far away.

During the pre-game show of 'NBA Today', Perkins spoke his mind about his expectations for Wemby's career.

"In the next 5 years, Victor Wembanyama will have three championships," Perkins said. "In the next five years, Wemby will have three to four Defensive Player of the Year. In the next five years, he will have three MVPs."

"When it's all said and done, he's going to go down as the greatest Spur to ever play the game of basketball," Perkins continued. "When it's all said and done, 30 years from now, the GOAT conversation, in no particular order, is going to go LeBron, Jordan, and Wemby. If this man doesn't get hurt for the next 10 years, he's going to be the best basketball player on both ends of the floor."

These are lofty expectations, but they aren't unfounded. In his first playoff run, Wembanyama has already led the Spurs to the NBA Finals, defeating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. There, he earned series MVP honors after averaging 28 points and 12 rebounds per game.

It's a start. We'll have to wait and see whether he fulfills the prophecy laid out by a confident Kendrick Perkins, but the early signs in his career point to great things.

That said, the start of the NBA Finals has been tough for both him and San Antonio. The Spurs dropped Game 1 at home to the New York Knicks, losing 105-95 despite Wembanyama's 26-point, 12-rebound performance.

Game 2 takes place on Friday, 5th June.