For decades, the NBA has been defined by players who make it an experience. From Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s rivalry, through Michael Jordan’s gravity-defying feats, to Stephen Curry’s long-distance shooting, these athletes command the price of admission not just for their stats, but for the sheer unpredictability of their greatness. A generation after His Airness turned every possession into a historic feat and The Chef made every crossing of the half-court line must-see, Victor Wembanyama is completing the trinity of the game’s greatest marksmen.
Back again on Dan Patrick’s show, Reggie Miller declared that the alien has surpassed the rookie plane and firmly in a category reserved for the sport’s most watchable icons. After his 2025 season was cut short with blood clots, Miller feels that Wemby has defied scouting reports that suggested that physical play could disrupt his rhythm.
Advertisement
“He’s come back with a sense of purpose of matching other teams’ physicality,” Miller said about Wemby’s Shaolin retreat in the offseason. This transformation has turned Wembanyama into a dual-threat terror on both ends of the floor that fans want to watch and opponents can’t predict.
“I’m thinking like, MJ was like that, because you didn’t know what you were going to see with MJ on the court,” Miller explained. “I put Stephen Curry in that because of his ability to shoot the basketball. To me, Wemby is a must-see experience because you truly do not know what you are going to see. And what you do see and witness, it’s like, I don’t think I’ve seen a human being do that.”
It defies Charles Barkley’s narrative that Wemby could never be the face of the league. The Spurs’ last three games alone have made the French phenom a thrill to watch.
Advertisement
Fans feel a little protective about him but by embracing the physical style rather than shying away from it, Wembanyama has transitioned from a curiosity into a “must-see” phenomenon that mirrors the legendary auras of Jordan and Curry.
Victor Wembanyama’s rapid revolution into Michael Jordan’s mindset
Even Michael Jordan struggled with the physicality of ’80s NBA in his scrawny, rookie days. It only takes watching episode 4 of The Last Dance to show how he overcame that.
The infamous ‘Jordan Rules’ seem to be at play whenever Victor Wembanyama is on the floor now. Reggie Miller and Dan Patrick referenced a grueling three-game stretch for the San Antonio Spurs where Wemby had some close calls. Each time, he got up and dismantled some of the league’s most physical rosters.
Advertisement
That mental fortitude was tested against the Detroit Pistons, the LA Clippers, and a towering Houston Rockets lineup featuring Kevin Durant. Wemby didn’t just embrace that, Miller says that he, “almost uses it against them.” This ability to weaponize an opponent’s aggression has propelled the Spurs to a dominant 14-of-15 stretch as of March 2026.
Wembanyama’s recent performance against the Clippers, where he led a 25-point comeback, is being cited by many as his “Jordan moment.” It was a back-to-back game, he was exhausted, and teared up with relief when the game was over. He could’ve rested in this game, but he’s on the threshold of falling out of DPOY contention if he misses more games. And he knows fans want to watch him play.
Irrespective of what Jaylen Brown thinks, his defensive impact now rivals the peak years of Hakeem Olajuwon, who by the way trained him at his camp months ago. He’s also bringing some flair in his footwork and handles that he learned from Jamal Crawford and Kevin Garnett.
Whether he is hitting step-back threes or pinning shots against the glass, Wembanyama has ensured that, like MJ and Steph before him, the world truly does not know what they are going to see next.