For the first time in his career, Victor Wembanyama has been named an All-Star Game starter for the Western Conference.
Last season, Victor Wembanyama was named to his first NBA All-Star Game, playing as a reserve for the Western Conference. He finished with six points, a block, and a steal in the tournament format used last season.
This year, the league will return to a more traditional, single-game format. For the first time in his career, Wembanyama was named a starter to the All-Star game and will share the floor with Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeious-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic.
Spurs Hope Wemby Can Reverse All-Star Fortunes#
Last year, the All-Star Game was Wembanyama's last contest of the season. Over the break, he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, ending his season and threatening his career. Of course, he would go on to make a full recovery, although that was not a guarantee last February.
His All-Star debut was overshadowed by his and Chris Paul's gaming the Skills Challenge, intentionally missing shots in order to secure a faster time. He and Paul did record the fastest time, but were promptly ejected from the contest.
Paul insists that it was Wembanyama's idea.
It's worth noting that neither Kevin Durant nor LeBron James will join Wemby in the starting lineup. James has been an All-Star starter for the last 21 seasons, but a slow start to the season and his age catching up to him caused him to miss the mark this season. It is expected that he will be a reserve.
Wembanyama Could Make Jordan/LeBron Choice#
In 2003, Vince Carter was an Eastern Conference All-Star Starter, but he gave up his spot for Michael Jordan, then with the Washington Wizards. It was Jordan's last All-Star appearance, and Carter sent him out right.
If James makes it clear that this will be his last season before the All-Star Game, perhaps someone on the Western roster will give up his starting spot for one of the GOATs. Considering that he is a frontcourt player, the pressure to do just that might fall on Wemby.
However, Wembanyama has made it clear that he wants to bring competitive play back to the All-Star Game, and giving up his spot for one of the players chiefly responsible for turning it into the soulless game it is today might go against his goals. All of that remains to be seen.
For now, Wemby is the first Spurs' All-Star starter since Kawehi Leonard in 2017.