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Zach LaVine's Strong Victor Wembanyama Statement Before Bulls-Spurs

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine spoke on San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

Joey Linn

Nov 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) reacts after scoring against the Boston Celtics during the second half at United Center.
Nov 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) reacts after scoring against the Boston Celtics during the second half at United Center. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs are facing off on Thursday night at AT&T Center. San Antonio enters this game 11-10 on the season which is a big jump in winning percentage from its 22-60 record last season.

As for the Bulls, they enter this game 9-13. This record is tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference, as there are only five teams in the East with winning records.

Thursday’s game between San Antonio and Chicago will feature star players on both sides, most notably the 7-foot-3 Victor Wembanyama. On Chicago’s side, they will be led by Zach LaVine, who enters this game averaging 21.8 points on the season.

Zach LaVine
Nov 27, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan talks with Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Speaking with reporters ahead of this game, LaVine made a strong statement on Wembanyama.

“I think Wemby is off the charts," LaVine said (via K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports News). "I think he’s the best defensive player in the league.”

This is a strong statement from the Bulls star, but one that is backed up by a lot of statistics. The first recipient of the NBA’s Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month award, Wanyama has been dominant on that end to start this season.

Second in Defensive Player of the Year voting as a rookie, Wembanyama made first team All-Defensive last season. Leading the league in blocks as a rookie with 3.6 per game, Wembanyama is again atop the NBA in that category this season, rejecting 3.4 shots per game. 

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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