SAN ANTONIO – Victor Wembanyama wasn’t yet born in 2003 when LeBron James debuted in the NBA as the most hyped teenager in NBA history.
So, naturally when the league’s most heralded teen since then faces off Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers (7:30 ET, ESPN), expect the 19-year-old to pick his 38-year-old counterpart’s brain.
“[James] is somebody that must have a lot of good advice, a lot of knowledge, probably the most knowledge out of every player in this league,” Wembanyama said. “He’s an icon, definitely someone I could learn some stuff from.”
Fresh off winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament MVP, James certainly understands what the 2023 No. 1 overall pick might be experiencing in the face of sky-high expectations as a young, generational prospect and potential franchise savior.
Wembanyama and the Spurs enter the contest mired in a franchise-record 18-game losing skid.
James was held out of Wednesday’s clash with a left calf contusion as the Lakers played the second game of a back-to-back following Tuesday’s loss to Dallas.
2003 vs. 2023: What’s changed in the NBA
In 2003: NBA teams averaged 93.4 ppg.
In 2023: NBA teams are averaging 114.3 ppg so far.
Attribute the current scoring bonanza to some rule changes that limited how teams could defend, not to mention the more wide-open style that teams now employ. Since 2014-15, team scoring averages increased in every season except two (2019-20 and 2020-21). The league’s current average of 114.3 is slightly down from last season (114.7).
In 2003: NBA teams averaged 5.2 3-pointers per game.
In 2023: NBA teams are averaging 12.6 3-pointers per game.
Do you realize the last time a team won a game without hitting a 3-pointer was Feb. 5, 2016? Miami knocked off the Charlotte Hornets 98-95, missing all nine of its 3-point tries.
James averaged 2.7 attempts from 3 as a rookie, and his current average of 5.6 represents his fewest in seven seasons. Wembanyama is already taking 5.1 treys per game.
2003 vs. 2023: Changes in technology & media
In 2003: Nokia was the best-selling cell phone.
In 2023: Apple has just released its iPhone 15, marking 16 years since the original model was released in 2007.
Email, pictures, calendars, and music on one device seemed groundbreaking in James’ rookie year, and he took full advantage, based on this 2003 video of him at WWE Monday Night Raw. As Wembanyama’s rookie season unfolds, there’s not too much we can’t do with handheld devices.
In 2003: MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) conquered pop culture. In June 2003, James (along with Magic Johnson) made their notable appearance on the hit show.
In 2023: TikTok and social media have become the MTV of the century. From viral dances and other trends…
Now the league’s oldest player at 38, James has remained at the forefront of today’s culture, providing plenty of viral moments as he’s grown up before our eyes. Twenty-two games into his rookie season, Wembanyama appears to be off to a good start in the viral category, too.
Preparing for NBA spotlight as teenagers
Both Wembanyama and James debuted as rookies nearly 20 years apart to sold-out arenas, and it’s clear they entered those games well-prepared for the spotlight.
As a 17-year-old, James played in the first high school game broadcast on ESPN in 13 years, scoring 31 points with 13 rebounds and six assists as St. Vincent-St. Mary upset Oak Hill Academy, then the No. 1-ranked prep squad in the nation.
Navigating a road first paved by James, Wembanyama landed on the world’s radar at 14 years old, when he helped France’s JSF Nanterre U18 team finish as the French League runner-up. The 19-year-old debuted professionally in 2019 for Nanterre in EuroCup.
LeBron James is surrounded by media in his rookie season.
Victor Wembanyama speaks to the media before his first game at Madison Square Garden.
3 numbers to know from LeBron’s first 20 games in 2003
- Youngest player to score 40
James dropped 41 points in a 107-104 win over the New Jersey Nets at 19 years old.
- Won Rookie of the Month honors every month in 2003
He and No. 3 pick Carmelo Anthony became just the third and fourth rookies in NBA history to win Rookie of the Month for every month of their first seasons, joining San Antonio legends David Robinson (1989-90) and Tim Duncan (1997-98).
- Slow start but historic finish
James averaged 16.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists over his first 20 games as Cleveland started off 5-15. He finished strong in joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only players to average better than 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game as rookies.
3 numbers to know from Wemby’s first 20 games in 2023
- Youngest player to log 20/20 game
That took place less than a week ago in a 121-112 loss to Chicago, when Wembanyama replaced Dwight Howard as the youngest player to tally a 20-point, 20-rebound outing.
- First rookie in history to…
Wembanyama is one of four players to reach 45 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and five steals through their first three career games since 1983-84, joining Evan Mobley, Lamar Odom and David Robinson. But he’s the first to do it in fewer than 100 minutes played (80).
- Top five in five categories
The French phenom ranks in the top five of five statistical categories among rookies and leads his peers in three of them. He’s No. 1 in scoring (18.8 points per game), rebounds (10.6), steals (1.2) and blocks (2.8) among rookies. His 2.8 blocks per game ranks second in the entire NBA.
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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