Kobe, LeBron, Zion, other superstars on their opening nights as Wembanyama eyes NBA debut

The first overall selection of the 2023 NBA Draft, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama is one of the most highly-touted draft prospects in recent memory, arguably the greatest of all-time.

A New York Times report around the time of the draft notes a pundit stating that if Wembanyama didn't turn out to be as good as Kevin Durant or Hakeem Olajuwon, his career would be a "disappointment." While Wemby has made quite the impression during the preseason, he hasn't done anything until we see it in the regular season.

The lights will be shining bright at Frost Bank Center on October 25, and everyone's eyes will be watching the 19-year-old showcasing whether or not he was worth all the praise and admiration on draft day. Any slip-up will almost certainly be met with harsh criticism. With that said, what can we and what should we expect from someone like Wembanyama, someone who is expected to be one of the greatest players of all-time?

The only way is to wait to see how his career pans out. However, we can also look to see how the careers of NBA legends began.

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NBA Debuts from all-time greats:

LeBron James:

Obviously, any time a player gets put in the same sentence as "all-time," he is going to be compared to King James. James debuted for the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 29, 2003 in Sacramento. He was just 18 years old.

While the Cavs lost that game by 14, James shined, nearly recording a double-double. He ended the game with 25 points, six rebounds, and nine assists.

Kobe Bryant:

Kobe Bryant may not have been as highly touted out of the draft as James or Wembanyama (I mean, the Charlotte Hornets were willing to give him away immediately after selecting him, trading him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac), but there's no denying his impact on the game. He too entered the league at a young age and was an All-Star by his second season.

The first game he ever played in, Bryant barely saw the floor. He was on the court for only six minutes, 22 seconds, recorded just one rebound, and went 0-1 from the field. Bryant didn't even get his first point until his second NBA game, which was the Lakers' third game of the season.

When Kobe finally got the opportunity to start an NBA game on January 28, 1997, he didn't wow the crowd, putting up a modest 12 points on 5-11 shooting with just three rebounds and two assists.

Zion Williamson:

The last time a rookie came into the league with even remotely similar hype as Wembanyama was when Duke's Zion Williamson entered the NBA. The power forward was a mix of size and speed that was unparalleled in the league. While Zion has been good, and at times great when healthy, he hasn't been on the floor enough to live up to the reputation he'd been given before being drafted. Through parts of three seasons he's played in, he's still never suited up for the postseason.

Regardless, Williamson's first NBA game came about halfway through his rookie season. He did not disappoint. In just 18 minutes played, Williamson put up 22 points on 8-11 shooting. He also snagged seven rebounds and was a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. At one point, he scored 17 straight for the Pelicans. It's hard to impress more than that.

Tim Duncan:

We can't talk about an esteemed Spurs big man and not talk about the Big Fundamental. Duncan, also drafted first overall, made his NBA debut on October 31, 1997 in Denver. His first game was definitely a sign of things to come. As he did so many other times throughout his career, Duncan recorded a double-double, racking up 15 points and securing ten rebounds in the Spurs win over the Nuggets.

Duncan would only get better as his rookie season wore on. He had a 22-rebound performance in just his third game, and between April 6 and April 19, 1998, Duncan scored at least 23 points in seven straight games. Only two other rookies since then have accomplished the same feat (Zion Williamson - 8 games, 2020; Collin Sexton - 7 games, 2019).

Wishful thinking: Pelicans enter the season with a healthy Zion Williamson and high hopes for playoff contention

Dirk Nowitzki:

Another international superstar big man with some shooting prowess. Nowitzki wasn't the first overall pick but did draw some hype coming into the league. His NBA debut though, was anything but spectacular. Dirk played a solid 16 minutes and didn't record a single field goal. He did get two points from the charity stripe, but other than that and his four assists, every column on Nowitzki's stat sheet was a big ol' goose egg. For a seven-footer, you'd expect him to bring in at least one rebound, but nope, nothing.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

One of the greatest rookie debuts of all-time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played his first NBA regular season game on October 18, 1969 against the Detroit Pistons. The young Buck nearly dropped a 30-bomb in his first game, recording 29 points and 12 rebounds. He also played the entire 48 minutes. The only downside? It took Abdul-Jabbar 27 shots to reach those 29 points.

Although Kareem went just 12-of-27 from the field, his Bucks did wind up winning the game. In fact, those Bucks started the season 3-0, losing their first game to the Los Angeles Lakers, starring Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor. If that's what it took to bring down Kareem, I'm sure the Bucks were very excited after witnessing Abdul-Jabbar's first few games.

So, what should we expect from Wembanyama?

The Spurs first game of the season will be against the Dallas Mavericks, who ranked 25th in defensive rating last season. There will be ample opportunity for Wemby to score. Will he outshine Luka Doncic? Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but there's good reason to assume Wembanyama will do very well in front of his home crowd.

As we've seen with every other big man on this list, if their team trusts them off the bat, we should expect at least a double-double in points and rebounds out of Wembanyama. That said, during the preseason, Wemby hasn't exactly been a dominant force on the glass. While he hasn't played more than 23 minutes in a single game yet, he still hasn't recorded more than six rebounds.

Another thing to consider is minutes. In this day and age of load management, ensuring young superstars can remain healthy, the Spurs might not force Wemby to play a huge number of minutes in his first game. If Wembanyama does play 30 minutes though, there's a pretty good chance we see a double-double out of him.

When will Wembanyama make his NBA regular season debut?

That game is set for Wednesday, October 25, at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can catch the game on ESPN or stream it on Fubo TV.

How to watch: Catch basketball action this season on Fubo

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