NBA

LAS VEGAS — Jabari Smith Jr.’s game-winner Friday night was charged with a rare electricity. Six-tenths of a second remained. Houston was down two. The Thomas & Mack Center, stuffed like a blouse on The Strip, percolated as the fans stood.

The Rockets’ second-year forward snagged a Hail Mary of an inbounds pass out of the air, turned and fired, drilling a 3-pointer to give Houston the victory. He’d hit a game-winner before — against visiting New Orleans, before some 15,000 fans at the Toyota Center in March, hit a pull-up 3 from the right wing with 0.4 left to beat the Pelicans in a regular season game. A highlight of his rookie season, for sure. But it was nothing like this.

When it splashed after the horn sounded, the crowd of nearly 20,000 erupted. Smith basked in the moment by running to the opposite end of the floor, chased by his teammates.

And the luster of Victor Wembanyama had its first highlight.

Smith’s first buzzer-beater as a pro had a special feel to it because it happened under the anticipation of the NBA’s most-hyped rookie spectacle ever. The Rockets and Blazers were the undercard for the main event — the pro debut of Wembanyama. Perhaps France’s greatest export to America since Les Twins danced onto the scene. Certainly the NBA’s best French import Moët became the league’s official champagne in 2019.

This hype is a confluence of NBA popularity, of social media frenzy, of the burgeoning international game, and of that window in an NBA era when the quest for the league’s next top star. It was officially berthed in the capital of hype, Las Vegas, with a Britney Spears tap on the back and fans lining up during brunch hours in triple-digit heat for a 6 p.m. game.

Having Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pull up to your debut is a flex.

But if this marquee matchup of the Vegas Summer League’s opening night displayed the stratosphere of Wembanyama, it also revealed the struggles ahead. The can’t-miss prospect, whose arrival to the NBA has been all but messianic, was made to look more like a long-term project. He finished with nine points on 13 shots with eight rebounds. Brandon Miller, the No. 2 pick who struggled in the California Classic earlier this week, had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals to outshine Wembanyama.

Conclusions drawn off a summer league debut are absurdly premature. But it was prescient regarding the life Wembanyama is about to lead. A constant collision between expectation and production. People came with fervor to see a transcendent figure who will one day rule the NBA. They left disappointed after watching Wembanyama look mediocre against the Charlotte Hornets’ summer league team.

“Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court tonight,” he said after the game. “I’m trying to learn for next game.”

The question is not whether he can achieve the greatness his talent suggests. That will take years to manifest. The immediate concern is whether he can handle the mental hurdle of not being great while a hype that would make even young LeBron blush hangs over his head.

But you know us as sports fans. We won’t have patience. We will call him a bust. Jabari Smith Jr. wasn’t the only beneficiary of Wembanyama’s debut. So was Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 pick who also played in the undercard game. By halftime, fans were basically ready to Zelle love over from Wembanyama to Henderson, who looked good in his debut before a shoulder injury knocked him out of action.

Some of the concerns about Wembanyama looked valid. His 7-foot-4, 209-pound frame looked as lightweight as expected. He was pushed around easily, knocked off his spot, and often to the hardwood, by common NBA physicality.

He’s also not incredibly explosive, a reality compounded by what looked to be a hesitance to shoot. It proved justified as he missed five straight from deep before finally making one and receiving an ovation.

But the skill is there and as obvious as his wingspan. The handle is nice. The court vision is impressive. The shooting will come around and be quite the weapon. Defensively, he had five blocks while not being particularly imposing and looked promising defending out on the perimeter. He even blocked a pull-up 3 from Brandon Miller.

He’ll get some of the best possible coaching available on the planet in San Antonio. He’ll get direction on the court. He’ll get better teammates around him. He’ll get some good games under his belt. Eventually, he’ll get stronger.

In the meantime, between time, this becomes an exercise in fortitude. He’s 19 years old and just getting a taste of his new habitat, baptized by TMZ. This is only the beginning. That’s another benefit of being tucked away in San Antonio as the Spurs are experts at filtering out hype. How does he handle a bad month to start his career, especially if Henderson or Miller come out of the gates looking great? How will he be impacted by the takes and memes, the jokes and gifs, while he gets his NBA bearings? Such looked inevitable after his debut.

Stardom eats its young.

So does the NBA. Wembanyama has a target on his back. As the No. 1 pick. As the most ballyhooed rookie since LeBron James. As one anointed as basketball’s Simba. They are coming for him. He will need time to learn the ropes. To build up a war chest of resolve to retaliate. Because conquering Wembanyama comes with a massive audience.

Just ask the other beneficiary at his debut.

   KAI JONES 🤯

   A reminder that Victor Wembanyama is 7-foot-5.

   🎥 @NBA | #NBASummerLeague pic.twitter.com/Tv3yeJmAG8

   — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 8, 2023

Kai Jones has been in the NBA two seasons. He’s played 67 NBA games for the Hornets. He’s perhaps never been more seen than he was in the third quarter on Friday night.

He set a screen for Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. then rolled to the basket. Wembanyama jumped out on Smith Jr., knowing he had the length and acumen to still get back and cover Jones. But Smith threw it high and Jones went up and got it. He soared over the 7-foot-8 wingspan of Wembanyama, over the lofty expectations, over the hype, and he threw down a vicious dunk. With the foul.

The luster of Wembanyama had another highlight.