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This specific Giannis Antetokounmpo trait would make Victor Wembanyama impossible to stop

This specific Giannis Antetokounmpo trait would make Victor Wembanyama impossible to stop originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Tonight, the San Antonio Spurs host the New York Knicks at the Frost Bank Center to open the 2026 NBA Finals. It is a rematch of the 1999 Finals, featuring the two best teams from their respective conferences meeting for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

At the center of it all is a 22-year-old Frenchman who has spent the past three weeks making the most dominant team in the West look ordinary. Victor Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks during the regular season and elevated his play in the postseason.

In the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, winning the Earvin "Magic" Johnson WCF MVP Trophy. When Wemby was a force on the court, the Spurs were practically unstoppable. When the Thunder successfully contained him in Games 2, 3, and 5, they won all three.

But his 235 pounds of weight on a 7-foot-4 frame remains a serious durability concern. One former No. 1 pick knows exactly what happens when that changes.

Greg Oden, the 7-foot center selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2007 NBA Draft, one pick ahead of Kevin Durant, went on “The Pivot” and said that once Wemby adds Giannis-level muscle, the league has no answer for him:

He said, "Once he gets Giannis' weight, it's over. Everything he's doing right now, it's right there. But once he gets that little more muscle, I think it's fcking over for the league. For him to shoot like that, as mobile like that, and then for the MF to jump two inches off the ground and damn near at 11 feet, can't nobody stop that."

Giannis Antetokounmpo stands 6-foot-11 and weighs 243 pounds. The Milwaukee Bucks forward is eight pounds heavier than Wemby despite being five inches shorter. That extra muscle allows the Greek Freak to overpower NBA bigs inside while maintaining his speed.

In contrast, Wembanyama relies on length, timing, and mobility. Because he lacks raw power, physical teams can still push him around in the paint during a long playoff series

Wembanyama is uniquely skilled for his size. Historically, seven-footers played strictly near the basket and rarely shot from the perimeter. At 22, Wembanyama does both. According to Oden, once Wemby builds the strength to match his skill, the rest of the league will struggle to contain him.

The Knicks get their first look tonight. They might want to enjoy it while he's still "only" this good.