Wemby, Lakers
Getty
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs greets fans before the start of the first half of a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Frost Bank Center on October 26, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
French phenom Victor Wembanyama has elevated his game to a new level in his third season, playing like a dominant big man rather than a 7-foot-5 guard. Lakers legend Metta Sandiford-Artest has seen enough, forecasting that Wemby will lead the San Antonio Spurs to at least 10 NBA titles.
Metta, who played a key role in helping the Lakers win the 2010 NBA title, believes that Wemby — due to his unique physical traits — will peak earlier than other superstar-level players, who typically enter their prime in their late 20s.
As such, he feels that Luka Doncic and the Lakers should win soon, or their title window will be shut, and the same applies to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s chances of repeating.
It’s Over for the NBA?
“Luka’s going to show how good he is, but he’s got to win now,” Metta said on Iman Shumpert’s “No Limit” podcast.
“It’s the same for SGA. I told SGA’s dad, I was like, ‘Yo, he got to win it this year because Wembanyama is coming and the league is going to be out of commission for a couple years. It’ll be out of order. We’re closed.'”
“You think so,” Shumpert asked, wondering if Sandiford-Artest was being hyperbolic.
The 2004 Defensive Player of the Year doubled down on his take.
“When Wembanyama arrives, yeah, we’re out of order. There will be no championships available. Sorry. Come back in two years.”
‘Wemby Will Win 10 Titles’
Metta further predicted that Wemby will three-peat “at least twice” — a feat only achieved by the 1952-54 Lakers, 1959-66 Celtics and 1991-93/1996-98 Bulls.
“Yeah, there are gonna be a few of those,” he said about Wemby’s chances of winning three consecutive NBA titles with the Spurs.
“You better win now,” Metta warned the league. “For the [Lakers], the window is this year and next year, because Wembanyama is here.”
Shumpert added that teams around the league will eventually be helpless in trying to contain Wemby or muster any offense against his team.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do when Wemby gets to the point that he’s strong,” said the 2016 NBA champion. “He got right hand, left hand, floater, pass. He diving on loose balls. He doing the one-hand Jokic taps.”
To Shumpert’s point, Wemby is already starting to bulk up and playing a lot more in the post in his third season, making him harder to scheme against for defenses.
Wemby leads the NBA with 4.7 post-ups per game, a number that has skyrocketed from last year’s 2.4, which ranked 21st in the league. Furthermore, he is attempting 7.8 shots per game from within the foot-area area, up from 5.0 in his sophomore year.
The third-year star is averaging 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals and a career-high 4.7 blocks through six games. His defensive impact has been very palpable thus far, as the Spurs rank second in defensive rating and first in opponent points allowed (108.2). Individually, he leads the league in defensive win-shares (02.51).