“We saw the ‘Hakeem Effect’ last night” – Magic Johnson predicts MVP-level season for Wemby
Less than five months before the 2023 NBA Draft, Magic Johnson met Victor Wembanyama for the first time in Paris. He took a picture with the then-7’3″, 210-pound center and called him “the greatest player in the world” – a title that many did not take seriously back then.
Three seasons later, Wembanyama – now listed at 7’4″ and 235 pounds – possibly made that title official with his 40-point (on 71.4 percent shooting), 15-rebound and three-block performance in the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025-2026 season opener against the Dallas Mavericks.
The manner in which Wemby did it – highlighted by his increased strength, routine blocks, reverse dunks, otherworldly shooting, improved footwork, and post-game – had the league shaking and marveling at his greatness. And Magic did not want to be left out of the Victor hype train.
Johnson took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the 21-year-old center, predicting that this season, which is only Wembanyama’s third, will be the year he wins the MVP award.
The “Hakeem effect”
After his unique offseason, everyone was expecting Wemby to have a breakout season this year. He showed flashes of his refined game and revealed his mature mentality during the preseason. They simply did not expect the French star, who had not played an NBA game for over eight months, to announce his intent to take over the league immediately.
Johnson called the 2023 No. 1 pick’s display of dominance the “Hakeem effect.” Aside from training with Shaolin monks over the summer, Wembanyama also worked out with legendary big men, most notably Hakeem Olajuwon, a Houston Rockets great.
Olajuwon taught the young star how to dominate inside and out, enhancing his footwork and his finesse around the rim, which made him even more lethal with his guard-like handles and elite shooting.
“Victor worked out with NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon over the summer,” Johnson added. “We saw the Hakeem effect last night when he did the dream shake and shot 4-5 jumpshots off one foot like Hakeem used to do.
During their season opener, Wembanyama applied his learnings against Anthony Davis, a three-time NBA All-Defensive First team and one of the best defensive big men in the league. However, AD had no shot.
Related: “The fraud is mind-boggling” – FBI releases more details about the multi-million dollar gambling scandal in the NBA
Wemby’s MVP chances
Entering the season, pundits predicted Wembanyama to be one of the top five favorites to win MVP.
Included in this elite list are reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic. Anthony Edwards, who Johnson also called an MVP candidate after his 41-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers, also has a strong case.
However, after his monstrous performance, in classic overreacting fashion, the NBA world is now crowning Wembanyama the newest MVP. If he can be consistent, avoid major injuries and actually lead the Spurs to wins, then this is more than possible.
With that said, people need to calm down because the season has just begun. Nevertheless, Victor’s showing is a tell-tale sign of what’s to come this season and an early warning to the rest of the league: the Alien has arrived, and he is tired of losing.
Wembanyama may not be the greatest player in the world yet, but he still has 81 games to earn the title – and he probably will not need many games to do so.
Related: “If Shaq and KD had a baby” – Kendrick Perkins has a unique description for Victor Wembanyama’s dominance
