Wembanyama Jr? This 7'1" Eighth Grader Looks Like An Absolute Cheat Code on The Court
Meet Akol Nyok who just finished his eighth grade season.
What in the holy hell is happening? How are these kids getting so big and so skilled? When I was young, anyone even remotely tall could barely hold onto a basketball while standing still and moved around like a newborn baby dear. Now you have these kids over 7 feet tall and looking like Kevin Durant with the rock in their hands.
He shouldn't be shooting step back Js in people's faces. He should be awkwardly trying to put on shoes without kneeing himself in the face. That kid should have the coordination of a shit-faced dude on stilts not a D1 athlete.
I'm half tempted to say this might be a Danny Almonte situation but the kid does have a baby face. I mean just look at him. A 7'4" wingspan is asinine at that age.
I found an article where his team Scotland Campus First Love won a game this season and he had six blocks as soon as he came in the game.
“I thought defensively, we were tremendous,” said First Love head coach Tony Bergeron, who was previously an assistant at UMass. “Akol Nyok came in and changed the game, he had six blocked shots. Made it very difficult for them to get anything at the basket.
You mean the dude who looks like he transferred here from the Monstars came in and changed the game with his defense? You don't say.
The knock on these kids is always that they're too thin and not tough enough. Hell, people have been saying that about Victor Wembanyama too. But it seems like this kid is trying to dispel that notion head on. And good for him.
Odds are this kid will fade into oblivion and he'll be just another dude who got fawned over because he hit his growth spurt early. But I'll be rooting for him. If for no other reason than I want the entire NBA to be freaks of nature who can run, shoot, and handle the rock while being taller than 7 feet.
I have always wanted baseball to legalize steroids and I'm pretty sure that's what is happening here. Except instead of anabolic steroids we're just pumping our kids full of genetically modified fast food and energy drinks and they're all becoming giants. So good job parents. Grab your kids another Happy Meal and let's get a whole army of kids like this into the league.
Follow me @WillBurge for more advice on how to raise your children and also buy the Wembanyama t-shirt so you can say you were into 7 footers before it was cool.