Heading into this NBA season, Victor Wembanyama will stand above the rest, not just in the obvious ways. He is poised to keep growing as one of the most defining players in the present-day NBA.
At the same time, Wembanyama credits a few of his contemporaries for helping set the model for what success looks like, per Matt Guzman of Sports Illustrated. Altogether, he cited Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic.
He marvels at their collective experience.
“It's so impressive. It's so impressive because I'm now seeing first-hand what it feels like, what it looks like to play intentionally,” Wembanyama said. “To play in the Finals. To play nine-plus months of NBA basketball. “And I wonder how these guys do it for 10, 15 years … it's the most impressive thing about great NBA players.”
Article Continues Below#Spurs star Victor Wembanyama spoke at length about the admiration he has for players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who consistently sit among the league’s best players.
He concluded his answer by naming Shai, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić:
“It's so impressive. It's…
— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) October 19, 2026
Each of these players has been at the top of the league. Also, each is an MVP, and each has won NBA championships. Gleilger-Alexander won the MVP in 2025 and 2026. Also, SGA won the championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025. Giannis won the MVP in 2019 and 2020 and won the NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022. Jokic also won MVP in 2021, 2022, and 2024. In 2023, Jokic won the NBA title with the Denver Nuggets.
This past year, Wembanyama won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Along the way, the Spurs reached the NBA Finals but lost to the New York Knicks.
The Spurs will face the Thunder in their season opener on Tuesday, October 20, at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.