Cooper Flagg admits Victor Wembanyama truth he couldn't deny if he wanted to

It's always fun to listen to NBA players, past and present, detail their "Welcome to the NBA" moments. The league is full of freakishly athletic humanoids, playing a highly skilled game at its peak, and every new member learns they've entered a lion's den in their own way. It didn't take long for Cooper Flagg's lesson to unfold, and during his Rookie of the Year interview, he gave Victor Wembanyama the nod as his first teacher.

Flagg's ROY victory over Charlotte's Kon Knueppel might be a little controversial, but that take sure won't be. Everyone remembers the epic performance Wemby put on that late October night in D-Town. It was San Antonio's first game of the season, and Wembanyama went ballistic, putting up 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks in less than 30 minutes of action.

It was a sign of things to come for both the third-year superstar and a Spurs team getting ready to go on a magical run.

Flagg's Wemby moment was a "Welcome to the future" warning for us all

Expectations were already high coming into this season for Wembanyama. After his last campaign was cut short due to a blood clot diagnosis, you just wanted to see how he was going to show up in year three. Well, he came out breathing fire and left the American Airlines Arena smoldering.

One of the first questions asked in the aftermath of the destruction was whether Wemby would be able to keep it up. He averaged 30 for the first five games, but this year has been forged by unity and team spirit. The Spurs' superpower is their depth, and leaning into it all season has helped every single rotational piece get comfortable to the point where they're all stars in their roles.

This process has led to a whole host of teams experiencing dominance at the hands of one of the youngest cores in the league for an entire season. 62 wins later, it's too late. Most believed they'd have at least one more year before the Spurs were title contenders, but the talent on the roster is built to win now.

Victor Wembanyama is the driving force of that, and he set the standard before the preseason when he verbally demanded defense from everyone. Then he set the tone with a world-shattering game to start the year. I remember it well. You remember it well. Cooper Flagg remembers it well. And none of us will forget it.

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