By Gabriel Esparza | April 12, 2026
This sentiment can be felt throughout various aspects of life. Many, particularly those born before 2000, voice their dismay about the current state of sports.
According to these voices, NIL and the transfer portal are completely tainting the college product. Roger Goodell has taken every aspect out of football that makes it football. Back-to-backs and playing through even a minor injury inconvenience now appear to be NBA relics of a past era.
To many, sports have simply become unwatchable.
In steps a 7 ‘4 phenom from France in Victor Wembanyama. Suddenly, it appears that the Spurs’ former top draft pick is serving as the antidote for all aspects that basketball laments about the NBA and is showing that the future of the league can truly be a great product that excites more than just the die-hard fans.
Wembanyama brings a certain level of intensity every time that he sets foot on the court.
There is no need or desire to take it easy or simply go through the motions to fulfill a contract or financial benchmark.
Instead, every minute on the court is simply another opportunity to showcase just how he can impact the game at all levels.
And speaking of which, Wembanyama is a superstar who prides himself on the defensive end. Forget all of the blocked shots that he had managed to accumulate to this point in the season. His presence will often visibly deter many would-be attempts.
Only time will be able to tell what ends up happening in Wembanyama’s career. If, however, all players acted as they usually do on the offensive end, even with Wembanyama in the paint, it is safe to assume that he would be able to say the very least, eventually challenge the all-time career blocks record that is currently being protected by Hakeem Olajuwon.
When taking a look at the other end of the court, Wembanyama is a completely unguardable force.
image credit | @ykykbstudio
He can play like a guard, take any shot that any other backcourt player would attempt, and manipulate his way in the paint to provide production.
It will remain a question as to how Wembanyama’s body will hold up and what the Spurs will look like in the playoffs.
There is, after all, an added level of intensity in the postseason. While others have been pacing themselves, Wembanyama may have, to a certain extent, already shown his whole hand.
For the sake of the NBA, though, casual fans, neutrals, and really all fans of basketball in general should have something of a vested interest that this proves to not be the case whatsoever.
The way Wembanyama goes about his business can not only set an example but also end up being contagious and trickle down throughout all levels of play, effectively fighting back against many of the trends that irk a lot of modern-day basketball fans.
Gabriel Esparza joined The Sidearmer with over six years of sports writing experience. From American football to basketball, to soccer, and to the UFC, he tries to find interesting stories throughout the world of sports. When he is not watching games, he is likely enjoying good music or catching up on some TV shows.