The Exquisite Wembanyama

The term “unicorn” has been used in basketball to define a big man that possessed incredible height and skillsets that were more common in guards. Its a descriptor used for something we haven’t seen before, like a 7’3” center that can shoot threes from the logo—this was Kristaps Porzingis’ unicorn case. To find the original NBA unicorn, we have to go back to 1984 when Ralph Sampson entered the league.

Sampson possessed tremendous size at 7’4”—while also showcasing elite athleticism, quickness, and high basketball IQ. His first three years were statistically impressive, where he averaged 20.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. He was an All-Star all three seasons, won Rookie of the Year in 1984, and received some MVP votes in the 1984-85 season.

Today, we have a new unicorn: Victor Wembanyama. When he entered the 2023 NBA Draft, he was the most hyped prospect since LeBron James entered the league twenty years earlier. He was instantly labeled as a generational talent with a mix unfathomable size (7’5”) and wingspan (8”) with an elite perimeter game that should be unheard of for his size. The promise was immense, as was the pressure. And despite all of that, so far this season he has defied any and all expectations that surround him.

Defying Logic

At the time of this writing, the San Antonio Spurs have played five games in the 2025-26 NBA season. In every one of these games, Wembanyama has done something that breaks the collective basketball hive mind. He is making the extraordinary seem ordinary and the impossible seem probable. Through their first 120 career games, Wembanyama has more points than LeBron James, more rebounds than Karl Malone, more threes made than Steph Curry, and more blocks than Hakeem Olajuwon.

This season he is turning into the generational player that we all expected him to be. Through five games he is averaging 26.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 4.6 blocks per game. At this point, it feels incredibly unlikely that he will not be towards the top of both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year ballots for the next ten seasons. His length is so intimidating that players are now hesitating to attack the rim. The Spurs as a team allow 23.8 field goal attempts per game within six feet from the basket—the third lowest in the NBA.

That number is indicative of Wembanyama’s presence at the rim. Among players that defend 15 field goal attempts per game or more, he averages the second lowest opponent field goal percentage at 37.1%. His 4.6 blocks per game leads the NBA, and is laughably more than Adem Bona who averages 2.2 blocks per game and is in second place.

The truly terrifying thing about Wembanyama this year is that he is transforming into a more aggressive offensive talent as well. In his first two seasons in the NBA, he was very content to play on the perimeter. Last season, 47.7% of his shot attempts came from three. So far this year, that number has dropped to 16.7%. He is attacking the basket more, which has led to him nearly doubling his free throw attempts from 4.1 last year to 8 per game this year. Across every metric he has made improvements, proving how committed he is to being the best in the world.

He is attacking the basket, accounting for 43% of his shots so far, he is initiating the break, and blocking shots at a rate that could be historic. If he only plays 60 games this year and maintains his blocked shot average, he will be in the top 200 in career blocks—passing current contemporaries Jarrett Allen and Steven Adams in the process. All this is happening while he is only shooting 31.3% from three to start the year. The possibilities for Wembanyama seem endless. The elephant in the room, however, remains the precedent of the health question.

Competing With the Expected Reality

Ralph Sampson had a successful career after being dubbed a “unicorn”, but it did not feature a lot of games played on the court. He played every game his first two seasons and missed just three games in his third season. After that he only played over sixty games in a season once. He ultimately retired at 31 due to his numerous injuries. This fate has met other players that are 7’4” and taller. Yao Ming missed a full season due to injury and retired by 30. Manute Bol was a model of availability until he turned 30 and began to suffer from knee and wrist issues.

Many may write this off as coincidence and suggest that players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Rik Smits were of similar stature and had long and mostly healthy careers. But the statistics tell a different story. Players over seven feet tall are nearly twice as likely to experience missed games due to injury than shorter players. From an evolutionary perspective, the human body has not evolved to accommodate that level of height without adverse effects. That is the fear that will trail Victor Wembanyama as his career continues.

He has already missed half a season when he was sidelined due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder last year. It was a worrying injury that required blood thinners and complete avoidance of physical activity. The potential for extensive time missed when juxtaposed with the capability of the player, is an anxiety-inducing exercise in hoping that the worst possible outcome doesn’t occur. The precedent in addition to what he have seen creates a long-term highwire act where we want the awe to never cease.

There have been many proclamations made about the upward trajectory of Wembanyama. Smart basketball minds have concluded that he is next dominant force that will dominate the league for the next 10-15 years. We are seeing it already in the way that he has given us with a taste of the fantastic, a glimpse into abilities that we never thought possible. Lurking behind that optimism, however, is the fear of how long it will last.

As basketball fans, we must hope that he is the exception to the rule. His style of game is graceful, defies logic, and is overall excellent theater. It is coupled with a man who understands his trajectory and is determined to be viewed alongside the greats of this game. If anyone deserves a storybook career, it seems to be him. For now, we can all enjoy the ride and marvel at what Wembanyama is doing, recognizing that his unicorn label is well deserved. Let’s just hope that his presence is not as fleeting as that creature from mythology.

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