Victor Wembanyama dragged into Ralph Sampson’s bizarre self-comparison

If you have watched even a second of Victor Wembanyama on a basketball court you would know how other-worldly he is. Even at his young age, he is doing things we have never seen before. However, a current NBA Hall-of-Famer would like to disagree.

Former Houston Rocket Ralph Sampson previously quoted that, “I could have played in this era for sure, and I would probably dominate the game more than I dominated the game in the past. 30 and 20. Easy. They say I'm Wemby, the first; he's Wemby, the second. But I'm Ralph the first, he's Ralph the second." What on earth? I was not expecting to see this on the timeline.

Victor Wembanyama is one-of-one player

Wembanyama is known as the Alien for a reason. Whether you have watched every minute of NBA basketball throughout history or not, it is impossible to deny that the rising superstar is something that the game has never seen.

The big man possesses a unique ability to take his defender off the dribble, shoot threes over anyone, play instinctual defense, and block shots with never-before-seen timing. How many of those traits can Ralph Sampson say he has?

Yes, Sampson was a similar height and was able to dominate the game with it. With his similarly slender frame, the seven-footer was exceptionally excellent at handling the rock. It is not often you see a player of his size with the ability to drive to the rim and dribble the ball down the court—full respect to him for that.

However, that is the furthest extent to which this comparison goes. I am well aware that he played in an era of interior dominance, but you can't make this insane comparison without mentioning the three-ball. The three-point shot is what changes everything for Vic. With the deep ball, Wembanyama wouldn't be the same offensive juggernaut that he is today.

Furthermore, the Frenchman has played defense not only at a Hall-of-Fame level, but has the ability to become the greatest defender ever to walk the earth. He is already shattering block records and has boosted an incredibly weak San Antonio defense into a formidable group. No matter who you throw at him, he will be able to hold his own. Plus, there is a very real chance that the monster takes home more than four Defensive Player of the Year awards in his career.

With full respect to Sampson, Wembanyama is a different breed. While you could certainly make the case that the two are similar, the Spurs star is in a league of his own. Not to mention, Wemby has yet to reach his prime. This comparison will be especially foolish once he does.