Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Can 'Change Basketball Again'
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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