LeBron James was touted as The King as soon as he arrived in the NBA.
But fans believe that there's a new king when it comes to rookie seasons.
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Victor Wembanyama, 20, played for a rebuilding San Antonio Spursꦑ team that went 22-60 and finished next-to-last in the Western Conference.
That wasn't Wemby's fault.
As a rookie from France, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft dominated the box score night after night, improving as the season grew longer.
👍The 7ft 4in Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 blocks in 71 games.
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♎That stunning block total positioned Wemby as the youngest player to ever lead the league in the stat.
When James was a 19-year-old rookie in 2003-04, the No. 1 pick of the '03 draft averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 0.7 blocks.
Advantage Wemby.
But it's the minutes stat that really pushes the Spurs rookie past The King.
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James played in 79 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers♔ during his initial NBA season and averaged 39.5 minutes per contest.
That's a credit to James' dedication, but it's also a huge tip of the cap to Wemby.
ꦰNBA fan footage captures Victor Wembanyama in uncharacteristic postgame outburst following San Antonio Spurs loss
♑The French native only averaged 29.7 minutes, meaning that James played almost 10 minutes more nightly.
Simple math shows that Wemby's stats would have been even larger -- and significantly better than James' - if he had played even close to the same amount of time.
🎉"Soon he will be considered the GOAT and people will laugh at the fact that they used to be a debate between MJ (Michael Jordan) and LeBron," one fan tweeted.
💮"Year 1 Wemby >>> Year 1 Bron," a second fan posted.
⭕"God I hope this kid stays healthy. He’s going to be even more fun to watch in his final form," a third fan wrote.
😼"And he did this in 10 less MPG," a fourth fan said.
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ꦅIn 36 average minutes, Wemby would have averaged 26 points, 12.9 rebounds and a stunning 4.3 blocks.
♋James would have had 19.1 points, 5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 2003-04 if he only played 36 minutes a game.
"Thank the Gods of basketball that San Antonio was able to draft him," a fan tweeted. "Wembanyama is so good and I can't wait to watch him dominate the NBA for the next decade-plus."
𒉰Others pointed out that James played in a tougher era with more big men, and entered the NBA straight out of high school.
🔜Wemby was a young pro before switching leagues to the NBA.
🙈"He’s not on Lebron’s level," one fan posted. "Stats in sports lie to you more than anything in the world."
ღWhile Wembanyama must wait for the 2024-25 season to start winning more in the NBA, James is now staring at Nikola Jokic and the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
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🦋James averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 35.3 minutes for the Lakers this year.
✃Los Angeles held on to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 110-106 in a play-in game, setting up a rematch against the Nuggets.
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