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Legendary reporter compares Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs impact to Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
From the Boston Celtics’ own Bill Russell to the more recent careers of Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal, Bob Ryan has covered several Mount Rushmores’ worth of all-time NBA greats. The scribe started with The Boston Globe in 1968 and officially retired after the Olympics in 2012, but maintains a strong presence as a guest across Celtics and NBA media.
At 80, Ryan is 58 years older than San Antonio Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama. And that’s exactly why, after more than 60 years of watching the NBA and its all-time great big men, Ryan is so confident that all of the hype surrounding Wembanyama is justified.
In a recent interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio’s David Shepard, Ryan told the host that he’s never seen anything like the center, dubbed the “Alien” by astounded fans and media. The reporter referenced Russell and legendary contemporary Wilt Chamberlain, crediting them each for revolutionizing one side of the court. It was to set up an implication that Wembanyama is well on his way to being an amalgamation of the two.
“Amazing combination of the athleticism and the personal presence to go with it. … This is something new. 60 years ago, there was this phenomenon that transformed basketball called Wilt Chamberlain, at 7-feet tall. And Bill Russell and his defense, the two of them came along within a three or four-year period and changed the game. One on offense and one on defense. Fine. But this kid? Oh my God. This is a new package,” Ryan told Shepard.
Wembanyama and the second-seeded Spurs will find out who their first-round playoff opponent will be on Tuesday, when the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers face off in the Play-In Tournament. Whichever team ends up earning the Western Conference’s seventh seed will face a tall task.
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