The student is becoming the master.
Victor Wembanyama put on a clinic in Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and afterward, he gave credit where it was due: to the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon.
"I had to resort to some things that Hakeem taught me, in this 4th quarter," Wembanyama said after the San Antonio Spurs' victory. "Especially that spin fadeaway over Rudy."
That "Rudy" is Rudy Gobert, by the way - a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best rim protectors in NBA history. And Wembanyama just cooked him with a move straight out of Hakeem's Dream Shake playbook.
Let me tell you what makes this so special, folks. Watching Wembanyama learn from Hakeem and then execute those same moves in playoff games is like watching Jordan study Kobe's tape - except backwards. This kid is 20 years old, he's already one of the best players in the league, and he's still adding to his game.
The spin fadeaway he hit over Gobert was pure poetry. Hakeem used to torture defenders with that exact move in the post - the quick spin, the perfect footwork, the high-arching fadeaway that's impossible to block. Now Wembanyama, at 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan, is doing it.
Good luck defending that.
What's remarkable is Wembanyama's approach to the game. He could rely purely on his physical gifts - and those gifts are otherworldly. But instead, he's studying the greats. He's learning from Hakeem. He's perfecting footwork. He's adding dimensions to his game that most big men never develop.
The Timberwolves had no answer in the fourth quarter. They threw Gobert at him - didn't matter. They tried doubling - he found the open man. They tried everything, and Wembanyama calmly dissected them with moves from a Hall of Famer's encyclopedia.
This is what separates good players from great ones. LeBron James added a post game later in his career. Kobe Bryant studied Hakeem too. The best players never stop learning, never stop adding to their arsenal. And Wembanyama is doing it at 20.
