Giannis on Victor Wembanyama's NBA Future: If He Stays Healthy, 'the League is His'

When LeBron James retires, the NBA will be Victor Wembanyama's for the taking, according to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"As long as Victor is healthy, the league is his," Antetokounmpo told reporters Saturday.

"LeBron is kind of like that," Antetokounmpo added. "He's close to the end of his career. ... But we have to deal with this problem now moving forward."

Antetokounmpo added: "As long as Victor is healthy, he's going to accomplish everything. He's going to be a champion, be an MVP in this league, do all the things, the goals he has set for himself. That's pretty much it."

Phoenix Suns veteran Kevin Durant seemingly concurred with Antetokounmpo, saying that Wembanyama "can achieve anything he wants in this game."

"He's only getting more comfortable as time goes on. ... It's just insane how dominant he's going to be as he gets more comfortable in the game," Durant said. "Luckily, I'm on my way out, so I won't have to deal with it too much. You just see him settling in game after game after game, and it's going to be a joy to watch."

Wembanyama entered the NBA as the most-hyped prospect since James when he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, and he has certainly met expectations in his rookie campaign.

The 20-year-old entered the All-Star break as the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award after averaging 20.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.2 blocks in 49 games while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 32.0 percent from deep.

For comparison, the last player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per game in a single season was Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-2000.

While Wembanyama could eventually dominate the league, he has a long way to go to reach some of the most highly-touted achievements, such as league MVP and NBA champion.

That said, there's seemingly little doubt he'll reach those milestones, especially if he continues to ascend at the rate he has in his first season.