Fans all say same thing as Victor Wembanyama vs LeBron James rookie stats show Spurs phenom may have had best NBA debut season ever

LeBron James was presented as the king upon his arrival in the NBA.

But fans think there’s a new king when it comes to rookie seasons.

Victor Wembanyama, 20, played for a rebuilding San Antonio Spurs team that went 22-60 and finished second-to-last in the Western Conference.

It wasn’t Wemby’s fault.

As a French rookie, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft dominated the scoring night after night, improving as the season wore on.

The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 blocks in 71 games.

This superb block total positioned Wemby as the youngest player to ever lead the league in statistics.

When James was a 19-year-old rookie in 2003-04, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 0.7 blocks.

Wemby Advantage.

But it’s the minutes stat that really pushes the Spurs rookie ahead of The King.

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James played in 79 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers during his first NBA season and averaged 39.5 minutes per game.

It’s a credit to James’ dedication, but it’s also a huge boost to Wemby.

The French native only played an average of 29.7 minutes, meaning James played nearly 10 minutes more each night.

Simple math shows that Wemby’s stats would have been even greater – and significantly better than James’ – had he played even about the same amount of time.

“Soon he will be considered the GOAT and people will laugh that it was a debate between MJ (Michael Jordan) and LeBron,” one fan tweeted.

“Year 1 Wemby >>> Year 1 Bron,” posted a second fan.

“God I hope this kid stays healthy. He’ll be even more fun to watch in his final form,” a third fan wrote.

“And he did it while getting 10 MPG less,” said a fourth fan.

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In 36 average minutes, Wemby would have averaged 26 points, 12.9 rebounds and a superb 4.3 blocks.

James would have had 19.1 points, 5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 2003-04 if he had only played 36 minutes per game.

“Thank the basketball gods that San Antonio was able to recruit him,” one fan tweeted. “Wembanyama is so good and I can’t wait to see him dominate the NBA for the next decade.”

Others pointed out that James played in a tougher era with more big men and entered the NBA right out of high school.

Wemby was a young professional before moving to the NBA.

“He’s not on Lebron’s level,” one fan posted. “Sports statistics lie to you more than anything in the world.”