Once in a few decades, a star is born in the NBA. Someone capable enough to change the game. For Stephen Curry, that potential was away from the public eye for a long time. In fact, maybe even the Golden State Warriors weren’t aware because he wasn’t the conventional star. His transformative traits didn’t scream for attention. However, times have changed, and for Victor Wembanyama, things are different.
Well, Curry didn’t just change the game; he bent its entire blueprint. And now, something just as seismic is unfolding again with Wemby on the frontline. However, the similarities between the undisputed king of three-pointers and the rising star are oddly uncanny.
When Curry entered the league, he was fragile with glass ankles, continuously betraying him. Meanwhile, Wembanyama arrived as the anointed future. However, Curry had no such cushion. He fought for minutes, for trust, for durability. As setbacks piled up, so did resolve. Eventually, those scars forged his identity.
“It’s just how you deal with it. It’s not always going to be a straight line,” Steph recently told The Athletic. “So how you deal with failure and how you deal with playoff experience and all of that, is going to define a lot. Because most people don’t get it done on their first try.”
Coming to Wembanyama’s gameplay, then, very few players in the league can do what he does, standing at 7-foot-4. He bends basketball’s geometry, squeezing space, warping strategies, and rattling comfort zones league-wide. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs face a deeper challenge: decoding Wembanyama while helping him decode himself in Year 3.
As his influence grows, echoes of Stephen Curry’s rise surface—because mastering the game first demands mastering the self. “It’s just a natural progression that you can’t really force until your talent becomes so undeniable in your style,” Steph said.
“And if it leads to winning, it becomes like a collective effort, unlocking it, unleashing it, and then you being able to uplift players around you. So it’s a two-way street,” he added. Moreover, greatness begins with discovering your voice, and it shows up everywhere—inside the locker room, on the hardwood, and deep within your decisions. However, true evolution arrives when doubt fades, and curiosity takes over.
Then comes fearless experimentation, the kind that rewrites norms. As limits blur, boldness becomes the engine. That unapologetic audacity lifts rare talent into territory few even dare to imagine.
Like Stephen Curry, Wemby too is holding the reins of his team
“Talent can only take you so far with God-given attributes. But he seems more vocal than I was at the time, like at this stage,” Stephen Curry said of Victor Wembanyama And obviously, he’s the number one pick, so it’s a different trajectory than what I took in a little earlier development, but the same kind of vibe.”
In fact, the 22-year-old French prodigy set the tone early, demanding defense with zero compromise at media day. The San Antonio Spurs transformed into an elite defensive unit. He also backed a playoff push; now they’re surging at 58-18, chasing the league’s top record. Moreover, a 127-113 win over the Golden State Warriors, without Curry, only reinforced that belief.
Even Wemby’s teammate, Harrison Barnes, at times fails to believe in the youngster’s antics. “It takes a collective to recognize that, to be able to give space, allow Victor to grow and develop into whatever type of player he wants to be…” Barnes told the media.
However, the real engine lies in Wembanyama’s discipline. He sleeps by 8:30 p.m., protects his body obsessively, and withdraws socially to recharge. As a result, every ounce of energy flows into dominance. Then, on the court, it explodes. On Wednesday, he dropped a 41-point, 18-rebound masterclass, followed by back-to-back 40-point, 15-rebound games. Something neither Tim Duncan nor David Robinson achieved in the franchise’s history.
Therefore, the standard is crystal clear. Wembanyama hunts excellence nightly, dismantling weaker opponents while sharpening his edge. He could become the next Stephen Curry in the making or a star with a completely different identity. Moreover, his relentless routine fuels a mindset wired for bigger prizes. The MVP now sits firmly in his sights.
