Leader of Asvel, Nicholas Batum knows better than anyone in the NBA the potential of Victor Wembanyama. And the Clippers winger didn’t wait until he played a season in Villeurbanne or planted 73 points in two games against the G-League Ignite to realize that the 18-year-old pivot was a phenomenon. .
” I warned you. I told you when no one knew reminds Nicolas Batum to Chris Haynes, the Yahoo! Sports. ” I told you he defended like Rudy, had the shot and size of Porzingis and ran and played like Giannis. I told you three years ago… I remember the first time I saw him was at the end of June 2018, and he was 14 years old. I had heard of it but had never seen it in person. »
While training with the French team, Niclas Batum then had to take the Les Bleus bus, but he asked to stay a few minutes to see Victor Wembanyama at work.
” After seeing him, I called Tony Parker because we are associated with Asvel. I said to Tony, ‘I have the next star. I just saw him. This kid is insane. It’s going to be incredibly good. »
And when Nicolas Batum talks about “next star”, he’s not talking about the French team. ” I’m not saying that for French basketball, but for basketball in general. In France, there’s me, Fournier, Gobert… But when I say it’s the next one, I’m talking about the world of basketball. The buzz around him is similar to that which surrounded Luka Doncic four years ago. »
“If there are others like that, my God, I’m retiring! »
Nicolas Batum shares the same agent as Victor Wembanyama, and he was able to rub shoulders with him this summer. But the Clippers winger assures that he is not there to behave like a mentor. For him, Victor Wembanyama is already well surrounded, and he already has a well-made and full head. ” If he needs it, we’re there for him, but he’s not an 18-year-old guy like the others. He has the mentality of someone 25 years old. »
All put together, that’s why Nicolas Batum believes that the pivot of Boulogne-Levallois will be the next phenomenon of the NBA. And for the next 15 years.
” People in France say he’s too young, and I have to tell them he’s not, and he’s different. continues Nicolas Batum. ” We have never seen someone like that, and we will not see another after. It is unique. I don’t think we’ll ever see someone 2m25 capable of doing crosses and planting a fadeaway. The NBA is going to have problems for the next 15 years. I hope he will be the only player like that, because if there are others, my God, I am retiring! »
