Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew on TNT already broadcast one of rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama’s games, but the Basketball Hall of Famer is already hungry for more.
“This Wembanyama situation is fascinating to watch,” Barkley explained on The Dave Pasch Podcast. “And I was kind of pissed to be honest with you, because he played pretty good Tuesday night. And then on Thursday night, I was actually in some meetings. … And (at the airport) they showed some of his explosive highlights, and I was like, ‘man it’s a shame we couldn’t get that on Tuesday.'”
Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs shocked the Phoenix Suns twice in their building last week. On Tuesday, the rookie had 18 points and eight rebounds in a comeback victory. But on Thursday night on NBA TV, Wembanyama exploded for 38 and 10 as San Antonio led from start to finish.
“He’s going to be scary, man,” Barkley said.
Barkley added he’s excited to watch Wembanyama after competing against and then covering the long San Antonio dynasty.
“The good thing about it is he seems like a great kid. The best thing about him too is he’s got a great coach,” Barkley added. “The best thing about Wembanyama is Popovich … he’s going to yell at everybody. He has no hidden agenda. If you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, he’s going to get on your a**.”
However, the Spurs were patient this offseason rather than going all-in right away with Wembanyama. As the always honest Barkley saw on Tuesday, the team is going to give up some big leads and be inconsistent, as all young teams are.
“The toughest thing for him is going to be, losing sucks,” Barkley noted. “When you’re on a bad team, it really sucks.”
[Arizona Cardinals on YouTube]
