After marveling at Victor Wembanyama’s NBA debut with the rest of the world, Fox’s Skip Bayless has, apparently, seen enough to start envisioning the Spurs star as part of a very divisive debate.
No, not as a candidate for 2023-24 Rookie of the Year but, believe or not, the greatest player in NBA history. Or, at least, that’s the debate Bayless’s show, Undisputed, wasted little time having not even 24 hours after the Spurs fell, 126–119, to the Mavericks.
Bayless first praised Wembanyama's poise and skills before questioning if the hype and ability will eventually come together for him. Wembanyama recorded 15 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block in 23 minutes on the court on Wednesday night despite logging five fouls.
Bayless then offered an eye-opening remark on Wemby as the future GOAT after saying he “looked like Kevin Durant” at times during the game.
“Can we see that consistently? Can you continue to do that when it matters the most? Well, now, we can start to put you in the conversation,” Bayless said.
Despite sounding like an endorsement, the hot-take expert stopped short of immediately including Wembanyama in GOAT talks, admitting the generational French phenom still has a ways to go to catch the widely-regarded GOAT: Michael Jordan.
“It’s hard for me even to think about Michael Jordan,” he continued. “You want to talk about the all-time cold-blooded basketball assassin? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
.@RealSkipBayless is not ready to put Wemby's name with Lebron James or Michael Jordan: pic.twitter.com/EbXWXJVA4R
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) October 26, 2023
Although his comments weren’t as ludicrous as some of his past takes, Bayless, as he so often has, will likely still catch some flack for his perspective. But considering that knee-jerk reactions go viral every day, the takes after one game of Wembanyama should only be considered the start of what’s to come.
