Victor Wembanyama will aim to cement his status as the new face of basketball on Thursday, June 4 (Philippine time) when he leads the San Antonio Spurs into Game 1 of the NBA finals against a New York Knicks lineup bidding to end a 53-year title drought.

Just three years after landing in the NBA as the top pick in the 2023 draft, French superstar Wembanyama is now contemplating the first NBA finals of his career and the realization of a childhood dream.

The 7-foot-4 Frenchman has inspired a startling transformation in Spurs’ fortunes in a remarkably short period of time.

After winning just 22 games in Wembanyama’s first season, and 34 games last year, San Antonio roared into title contention this season with a dazzling 62-win campaign.

They followed that up with a superb march through the playoffs, culminating in an against-the-odds defeat of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, beaten in a Game 7 thriller.

It has left Wembanyama well ahead of schedule on a trajectory likely to place him among some of the greatest players ever to have graced the NBA.

Michael Jordan won the first of his six NBA championships at the age of 28. LeBron James won his first championship ring at the age of 27. Wembanyama, still only 22 years old, could slice years off those benchmarks.

Wembanyama has more than lived up to that billing with a string of otherworldly performances in the playoffs, where he is averaging 23.2 points per game, with 10.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.5 blocks. (Agence France-Presse)