Stephen A Smith ‘YAWNS’ at Victor Wembanyama’s dunks during NBA games
Stephen A. Smith went on a rant on First Take about Victor Wembanyama's in-game dunks following his dominant 42-point outing.
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Stephen A Smith was not impressed by Victor Wembanyama's dunks
On Thursday night, the San Antonio Spurs triumphed over the Atlanta Hawks in a nail-biting overtime victory, finishing 133-126. Victor Wembanyama dazzled the court with a 42-point game, nailing seven of his 15 three-point attempts, along with four blocks. However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had a different reaction to the game.
While appearing on ESPN’s First Take the following morning, Smith dismissed the fascination with Victor Wembanyama‘s dunking prowess following a clip of his monster self-oop slam against the Hawks. He urged fans and viewers to appreciate the broader aspects of Wemby’s game, especially given the 7-foot-5 Frenchman’s inherent advantage while throwing down monster jams.
Why the hell are we always making a damn big deal of this man dunking the ball? Show me his ball handling! Show me that 3-point shot that he’s been sniping all over the place! Show me his passing ability! Show me his shot-blocking.
Stephen A. Smith said
.@stephenasmith is not impressed by Wemby's dunks and had to pull out the mini-hoop in the studio ? pic.twitter.com/9777CdO3TS
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 20, 2024
But the rant from Stephen A Smith didn’t just stop there. He continued on, talking about the uncanny fascination of ‘glorifying’ Wembanyama’s dunks, calling out his own producers for the same.
He’s 7-5! He doesn’t have to jump to dunk, and we want to make a big deal out of him dunking the damn ball. I need producers everywhere…shut the hell up about Victor Wembanyama dunking! He does not have to jump to dunk!
Stephen A. Smith vehemently continued
At 7’5” with a freakishly long wingspan, Victor Wembanyama doesn’t need to leap to dunk, making the act less of a feat and more of an expectation, according to Stephen A. Given these parameters, Wemby’s big game jams were all the less impressive to Smith, who emulated what the Spurs star’s dunks look like by using a mini-hoop within the First Take studio.
Victor Wembanyama joins Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson in elite club
Stephen A Smith might not be a fan of Victor Wembanyama’s ‘not-so-high-flying’ jams, but he certainly can’t deny that the Spurs sophomore star is already etching his name into history books. On December 15, Wembanyama became the third-fastest player under 21 to reach 2,000 career points, achieving the feat in just 92 games. Only Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson have done it faster.
Victor Wembanyama just reached 2,000 career points.
— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) December 16, 2024
Only two players in NBA history under 21 years old to reach 2K faster – Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic.
This accomplishment places Victor Wembanyama in elite company, only proving his young career’s historic trajectory. Luka Doncic, known for his playmaking wizardry and scoring consistency, and Zion Williamson, a powerhouse in the paint when healthy, represent two contrasting styles of play, with Wemby being an equally large outlier in terms of his playstyle.
What makes this milestone even more significant is the historical context. Players like LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady, who entered the league straight out of high school, didn’t reach this mark as quickly due to limited opportunities early in their careers. Even pure-scoring stars like Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant took slightly longer to hit the 2,000-point mark, putting Wembanyama in some elite company.
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Armaan Gupta
(344 Articles Published)