SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Back in December 1949, the marquee outside Madison Square Garden advertised an upcoming event simply as “Geo Mikan vs Knicks.”
The sign didn’t read “Minneapolis Lakers vs. Knicks.” It highlighted just George Mikan. The league’s original extraordinary big man.
That scenario feels familiar today. Wednesday marks the beginning of the NBA Finals, with San Antonio taking on the Knicks for the championship. And the advertising for this matchup — whether in San Antonio, New York, Paris or anywhere else across the world — might as well read “Wemby vs Knicks.”
Victor Wembanyama continues advancing to increasingly prominent platforms. The current version of the NBA’s exceptional big man — a designation previously belonging to players like Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal — will command global attention throughout this series, and likely for every contest he participates in going forward. He’s already achieved superstar status. This series provides his initial opportunity to add championship to his accomplishments.
“This is the best basketball on the planet that’s being played right now,” Wembanyama said after San Antonio won Game 7 at Oklahoma City to capture the Western Conference title. “And the crazy thing is … I want to do that 15, 20 more times. Let’s hope it doesn’t become an addiction. Maybe it is already.”
The addiction comparison seems appropriate. San Antonio has become completely devoted to him.
The city lacks Major League Baseball, NHL, or NFL franchises. When it comes to major professional sports, only the Spurs exist. Anyone traveling just five minutes in any direction throughout this city will witness the evidence.
Summer has arrived with school out in San Antonio. Monday found the city’s public library bustling with activity, and several children discovered a new exhibit near the entrance. “Read Like Wemby,” the display announced, showcasing five books that Wembanyama has reportedly enjoyed reading. An Instagram account — wembybooks — began sharing photos of him with various books, local San Antonio media picked up the story, and the library developed their concept.
“We want to make sure people have access to those and people can read them,” said Scott Williams, the marketing manager for the San Antonio Public Library. “And so, we thought, ‘Let’s do a display and let’s do a book list and make sure that people can easily find what Wemby’s reading so that they can read it too.’”
The outcome?
“The interest has been huge,” Williams said. “Ultimately, we’re looking at two things. We want people to pay attention to the library, we want people to come here and notice us, and we want people checking out these books and reading. It’s been a success on both fronts.”
Therefore, Wemby encourages literacy.
He also draws visitors to seafood establishments — even during closed hours.
Rudy’s Seafood remains closed on Mondays. During a 15-minute period Monday afternoon, four vehicles arrived. They weren’t seeking meals. They came to view the Spurs artwork — featuring current players and coaches alongside a recently refreshed Gregg Popovich, plus newly added George Gervin and Manu Ginobili, among others.
Mark and Christina Lerma have relatives in San Antonio but reside in Nebraska. They won’t attend the NBA Finals — ticket costs are prohibitively expensive — but they visited Rudy’s to honor their beloved team. Mark sported a recently purchased Spurs NBA Finals cap and Wembanyama jersey; Christina wore all black and displayed footage of a Spurs dress she had worn Sunday.
Their Spurs loyalty spans many years. And Wembanyama, predictably, has rapidly earned a special position in their devotion.
“He’s dominant,” Mark Lerma said. “He changes the game.”
They enthusiastically mentioned that Wembanyama has visited the restaurant to view the Spurs tribute, which has existed for years and receives updates when necessary.
“A lot of people stop and do selfies,” said Roland Ramirez, who owns the restaurant. “They’re doing graduation pictures with the backdrop. It’s pretty nice for the community. You know, the Spurs are pretty big right now here in San Antonio.”
He has previously met Wembanyama and was impressed by his demeanor.
“The first vibe I got off of him was he was just very humble,” Ramirez said. “He talked to my wife … he was very humble with everybody. You could see all the emotion he had when he won the Western Conference finals and the crying, he’s just a very emotional guy, very humble, very, very nice guy. That’s what people are really feeding off. He’s humble, but he’s hungry for a championship. And when he gets on the floor, he’s a whole different monster.”
He’s unique. Just as Mikan was 77 years ago. Wemby vs. the Knicks. A premier showdown awaits.
