Nuggets Rookie Jalen Pickett Has Hilarious Reaction to Meeting Victor Wembanyama

Nuggets rookie Jalen Pickett had a hilarious reaction to shaking hands with Victor Wembanyama.
Nuggets Rookie Jalen Pickett Has Hilarious Reaction to Meeting Victor Wembanyama
Nuggets Rookie Jalen Pickett Has Hilarious Reaction to Meeting Victor Wembanyama /

In some ways, Denver’s Jalen Pickett and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama are quite similar. Both are NBA rookies adjusting to life in the pros. But that’s where the similarities end. Pickett was a second-round pick and has played just 71 minutes over 10 games with the Nuggets, while Wembanyama is a global superstar who entered the league with as much hype as any prospect since LeBron James. 

And then there are the physical differences. Pickett is listed at 6'4", while Wembanyama is a full foot taller. So when Pickett met Wembanyama on Sunday, he couldn’t help but be mesmerized. Pickett was wearing a microphone for the game and it picked up his hilarious reaction to shaking hands with the French phenom before the game. 

“We shook hands. I’m not gonna lie, his hand went up to, like, here,” Pickett told Collin Gillespie before the game, pointing to his wrist. 

“Look at his hand, bro,” Pickett told another teammate during the game. “Bro, his hand came up to here [on me].”

It’s refreshing to know that Wembanyama’s NBA peers are just as awestruck as the rest of us are. 


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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).