NBA Executive Points Out the ‘Problem' With Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama is a nightmare for opposing NBA coaches.

How do you game plan against a player that’s unlike anything the league has ever seen?

In a recent piece from NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic, league executives anonymously weighed in with their thoughts on the generational talent that is Wembanyama.

"He's a problem from inside the halfcourt, and there's just no one like that,” one Western Conference executive told Amick. “At least Shaq was human in the sense that you needed three centers to bang with him. You've got 18 fouls [to work with]. Maybe one was skilled, and the other two could hold him up while the other guys get rest. But there's no archetype like [Wembanyama] - no player ever. It's a problem, and it's going to be a problem for 15 years."

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Wembanyama began the Western Conference Finals with a historic performance, recording 41 points and 24 rebounds in a double-overtime victory over the reigning NBA-champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman followed that performance up with 21-point, 17-rebound, four-block outing in Game 2.

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The Western Conference Finals series is tied 1-1 heading into Friday night’s Game 3 matchup at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center. Wembanyama and the No. 2 seed Spurs will look to reclaim the series lead and defend their home court.

Game 3 will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 2:06 PM.