Victor Wembanyama is a better player than Cooper Flagg, and fans don't see that changing anytime soon, but the Dallas Mavericks' rookie has already bested him in one category.
Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA, touted as the next LeBron James. He doesn't have the same skills as "The King," but his talents, marketability, and potential as the next face of the league and greatest to ever do it were reminiscent of "The Chosen One" in 2003.
So far, Wembanyama has not disappointed. He is already a two-time All-Star with an All-Defensive First Team nod under his belt, and if it wasn't for a season cut short due to blood clots, he likely would have made his first All-NBA Team to go with his presumed DPOTY trophy.
In his rookie season, Wemby averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks, good for one of the best debut seasons ever. Cooper Flagg entered the league this year with similar expectations and has been excellent, although he is simply not as good as Wemby was.
Still, the Dallas Mavericks' rookie has him beat in one category.
Wemby's Rookie Record Broken By Flagg
Over the past few seasons, the league has started collecting historical pieces of memorabilia and auctioning them off on its website. Up until recently, the most expensive jersey sold was the one worn by Wembanyama in his debut.
It fetched a hefty $762,000.
This year, the league put patches on the jerseys worn by rookies in their very first outing. As Flagg and the Mavericks fell short in the season opener to the San Antonio Spurs, rookies like Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Carter Bryant had a little extra flair on their jerseys.
Buyers were aware of that, and Flagg's debut jersey went for a cool million dollars.
While Flagg is not yet on the level Wembanyama has been on for some time now, the two are expected to headline the league for the better part of two decades.
They both play for two historically dominant franchises looking to return to the glory days, and the added competition of international play only makes their budding rivalry better.
While Flagg's Mavericks are yet to beat the Spurs, plenty of playoff matchups are expected in the future, and Wembanyama's French team and Flagg's Team USA will be favorites to make the gold medal contest at the 2028 Olympic Games, held in Los Angeles.