Magic Johnson: Victor Wembanyama Will Make LeBron James-Like Impact, Change the NBA

Count Magic Johnson among the believers in the Victor Wembanyama hype.

The Hall of Fame guard told Bryan Kalbrosky of For The Win that he expects Wembanyama to have an impact on par with LeBron James at the next level.

"He can affect the game in so many different ways and whoever gets him: This guy is going to change his franchise forever," Johnson said. "The hype is real. He will probably make an impact like LeBron did when he first came into the league. This young man is special. ... He's a league changer and a franchise changer. I don't know if we've seen someone with this type of talent in a long time be that young."

Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft. He has been pegged as a can't-miss prospect since his early teen years, flashing a generational combination of size, athleticism and skills.

Playing for Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A, Wembanyama has been an All-Star each of the last two seasons while also winning Pro A's Best Young Player Award. He led Metropolitans 92 to a championship and was the All-Star Game MVP last year.

While his hype has been astronomical—his games have been made regularly streamable stateside throughout this season—he's maintained an overall air of mystery stateside. Executives flocked to his brief United States sojourn late last year, watching him show out before raucous crowds.

His agents have already predicted a $100 million shoe contract before he ever plays a single NBA game, which would break James' $90 million deal signed with Nike in 2003.