Wembanyama's shocking new look proves how unique the Spurs star really is

Victor Wembanyama has been out and about often recently. He popped up at a Women's volleyball game, played basketball with a teenager in San Antonio, and now he's taking in the beauty a continent like Asia has to offer. After spending time at the Great Wall, the 7'4" Frenchman visited a Shaolin Monastery where he shaved his head, respecting the customs set before him.

Vic's video game-like skills on the court already make him unique, but his off-court persona is just as fascinating. It was shocking to see his tweet asking fans about chess in New York last year, and even crazier to see him actually show up for some matches. He has a rare discipline, an open mind, and a willingness to challenge himself to learn new things.

It makes him fun to watch, and it's a privilege to root for him as San Antonio's budding superstar.

Wembanyama sharing his journey could elevate him as all-time Spur

Wemby has already ingratiated himself with the fan base. He's as beloved as a newly established franchise player can be. However, to reach the status of guys like Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and David Robinson, he'll need to continue performing at a high level on the court while being a stand-up guy off the court.

He's proven to be a great person, so that last part won't be an issue. But times are different now than they were when the Big 3 were dominating the league. There is so much more social media, and everyone is involved in everyone else's business. There's good and bad to that depending on the community built around the players, but Vic seems to have a solid foundation of support.

He loves the fans, and he's shown that in the way he's given his time and how he's shared different moments of his journey. We get to watch it all unfold in a way we didn't have access to back in those days, and that will only endear the Alien to Spurs Nation even more, and likely at a much more rapid pace.

There's a generation of fans who grew up only knowing success for the Silver and Black. The past half-decade has been more strenuous for them than anyone else. But Wembanyama is here now, and if he can elevate this franchise back to the heights we've become accustomed to, I could easily see him moving ahead of some of the most beloved players in Spurs history.