Richard Jefferson: LeBron Would Be Picked After Wembanyama If They Were in Same Draft

Former NBA star Richard Jefferson said the 2003 prospect version of LeBron James would rank behind 18-year-old French sensation Victor Wembanyama if they were in the same draft class.

Jefferson argued Friday on NBA Today that Wembanyama's well-rounded skill set combined with a 7'4'' frame makes him a prospect unlike anything the league has seen before, a stance backed up by ESPN's Zach Lowe:

If nothing else, the comments illustrate exactly how much hype is building around the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft.

Wembanyama did nothing to hurt his rapidly rising stock in a pair of exhibition games against G League Ignite this week, which represented his first appearance in the United States.

The versatile center recorded 73 points on 22-of-44 shooting, including nine three-pointers, to go along with 15 rebounds and nine blocks in the two contests.

He's even received praise from James, the 2003 No. 1 overall pick who's gone on to build a résumé that puts him in the conversation as potentially the greatest basketball player in history.

The 18-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion told reporters Wednesday:

"I think probably the same as everybody else thinks. Everybody's been a unicorn over the last few years, but he's more like an alien. No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and graceful as he is on the floor. ... He's for sure a generational talent. Hopefully, he continues to stay healthy. That's the important thing for him."

Whether NBA general managers would actually select Wembanyama over 2003 LeBron is up for debate—James was an unprecedented prospect in his own right with several of his high school games broadcast on ESPN as interest in the Akron, Ohio, native reached a fever pitch—but the fact that it's a legitimate conversation says a lot.

One thing's for sure: It was quite a sight to see a 7'4'' player pushing the pace of play, serving as one of his team's key ball-handlers and taking jump-shot threes off screens. He looked like the physical embodiment of basketball's evolution over the past decade.

It surely caught the attention of every NBA front office, which is probably going to make the race to the bottom of the standings among non-contenders a tanking battle for the ages.