Wemby offers a humorous, honest take on LeBron James' inevitable retirement, acknowledging the league's shifting landscape with a grounded perspective.
As retirement speculation swirls around LeBron James, one of the NBA’s most enduring icons, Victor Wembanyama chose humor and honesty over hyperbole when asked how he’d react when the Lakers legend finally steps away from the game.
Speaking at NBA All-Star Media Day in Los Angeles, the San Antonio Spurs’ superstar didn’t mince words.
"No, I won’t shed any tears," Wembanyama said with a laugh when a reporter broached the question. "But clearly, it’s going to feel weird."
That down-to-earth reaction reflects both Wembanyama’s respect for James’ monumental career and his candid, matter-of-fact personality. The French big man isn’t about building dramatic narratives — he’s focused on the present moment and the task at hand, even as the league transitions into a new era.
James’ name has been front and center in retirement conversations for months. The Lakers star joked at Fanatics Fest that the emergence of generational talents like Wembanyama could hasten his own exit from the NBA, quipping that if Wembanyama keeps swatting his shots “into the stands,” it might “make me retire.”
That kind of playful back-and-forth has underscored a passing of the torch moment between two of the league’s most talked-about players — one nearing the twilight of his career, the other sprinting toward superstardom.
LeBron is one of, if not the greatest player to ever take a step onto a basketball court (as much as some Michael Jordan lovers hate to admit it). He has left a mark on the game in ways that not many can, and the sports world won't be the same when he calls it a career.
And one of the players who could become one of the faces of the league when the King hangs it up is not surprising at all:
Wemby.
As James’ legendary time on the court winds down, moments like this — candid, respectful but unfiltered — show that Wembanyama already carries himself like a future leader of the league: grounded, thoughtful, and ready to embrace what’s next without losing sight of the greatness that came before.