Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Can 'Change Basketball Again'

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama is receiving praise from a respected coach, who knows a thing or two about European success in the NBA.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 6, 2023

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Can 'Change Basketball Again' /

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San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are embarking on a new era with Victor Wembanyama as their franchise cornerstone.

Wembanyama has been the most hyped prospect the league has seen in 20 years, and for good reason. Standing 7-4 and having the ability to space the floor and hit deep shots isn't all that common throughout NBA history.

Perhaps the closest 7-footer to be able to hit those kinds of shots is Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, who is connected to Wembanyama for a number of reasons. Both players are European, tall and play the game different than most people their height. You could argue that Nowitzki helped blaze a trail for players like Wembanyama to play the game his way.

The pair are also connected through a shooting coach, Holger Geschwinder, a German who mentored Nowitzki throughout his career, but also had the opportunity to work briefly with Wembanyama.

"Everybody is surprised that a tall guy can move like this," Geschwindner told Marc Stein after it became known that he had worked with Wembanyama for a few days in July 2021. "He can only move like this because he's not heavy. That's what people misunderstand.

"This kid has the potential to change basketball again," Geschwindner told Marc Stein.

Given the fact that Geschwinder got a front row seat to Nowitzki's career, he may have a crystal ball for Wembanyama.

And if Wemby's career is anything like Dirk's, the Spurs have a great player to build around for hopefully the next 20 years.

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Published Aug 6, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.