The much-anticipated NBA debut of Victor Wimbanyama has gone down in history, and now we can compare his stats to those of LeBron James. Both players are considered to be the next big thing in the league, and there is a lot of debate surrounding whether or not the young French big man can surpass the Chosen One.
LeBron James made his debut on October 29, 2003 against the Sacramento Kings. In that game, James had 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals. In addition, he shot 12-of-20 from the field and had only two turnovers, but the Cavaliers still lost the game 92-106.
James’ opponent was the Sacramento Kings, with Peja Stojakovic scoring 22 points. Other players for the Kings included Vlade Divac, Brad Miller, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie and Bobby Jackson.
Meanwhile, Victor Wimbanyama struggled in the first few minutes of the first game against the Dallas Mavericks due to foul trouble. He found his form in the second half and ended up with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, one cap and three three-pointers.
Luka Doncic had a triple-double with 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 126-119 win.
LeBron James remains one of the most impressive debuts in NBA history
In comparison, LeBron James edged out Victor Wambanyama in both of their NBA debuts. Looking back, James had high expectations when he entered the NBA out of high school. However, James quickly adapted to the professional game:
In a post-game interview with the Chicago Tribune, James said, “I was able to do a lot of the moves I did in high school,” he said, “I just needed more strength. Most of the moves I used in high school, I can use here.”
Victor Wimbanyama has a chance to do better for the rest of his career. Their next game will be on October 27th when they host the Houston Rockets at the Foster Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
