Julius Erving: Victor Wembanyama Will Bring Back NBA Centers’ Lost Glory

The NBA has seen several trends over the years, but the changes to the big man’s role have been consistent. As wing players have become more important, the traditional center’s role has become less prominent. Yet, there is a growing belief that Victor Wembanyama could trigger a resurgence.

The San Antonio Spurs‘ superstar is one of the most promising prospects to become the next face of the NBA. As one of the best players in his generation and one of the league’s most gifted athletes, Victor Wembanyama stands at the forefront of a new era.

By virtue of being an elite big man in a league dominated by guards and wings, Wembanyama sets himself apart. However, during a recent interview with Scoop B. Robinson, NBA legend Julius Erving claimed the Spurs’ superstar could cause a massive shift by bringing back the lost glory of NBA centers. When speaking about the role of wing players in the NBA initially, he shared:

“I think you know the forwards and the guards dominate the game. It was a game dominated by centers in my day. As a matter of fact, the MVPs from 1966 to 1982 were all centers. Oscar Robertson was the one before, and I was the one during that year, and suddenly it became guards and forwards who were like MVPs of the league.”

“That has been maintained today, although I think Wemby is going to change that,” Erving concluded.

As Erving mentioned, the paradigm shift in MVP conversations began in the early ’80s when players like Julius Erving and prominent guards/forwards like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird began dominating the game. Although there were still noteworthy big men in that era, the NBA’s preference for the versatility of wing play was apparent.

For all intents and purposes, there have been several great centers since, with players like Shaquille O’Neal deserving a shout-out. Still, the consistency with which guards and forwards have taken over MVP conversations cannot be overlooked.

Julius Erving has mentioned that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the game’s greatest centers and his rival, is his favorite player. Given his own preference for the big man position, it is easy to see why he is optimistic about Victor Wembanyama’s potential. That being said, the Spurs’ superstar has also done enough to strengthen his case.

At just 22, Wembanyama finished third in MVP voting. Although he came up short in this endeavor after a season of averaging 25.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, his defensive impact, with a league-high 3.1 blocks per game, saw him named the NBA’s first unanimous DPOY, a noteworthy achievement for such a young player.

This may be why Victor Wembanyama’s rise seems more promising.

While the league continues to be dominated by superstar guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama positions himself as a threat to this narrative. With the 22-year-old becoming one of the cover athletes for NBA 2K27, there is even more reason to believe the dawn of a new big man era is on the horizon.

For the most part, however, the NBA has been graced by dominant big men even before Victor Wembanyama. Given how Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have also been perennial MVP contenders, one could say that Victor Wembanyama is just the latest addition to this list. But with another gifted center joining the fray, Wembanyama’s emergence could change the pre-existing narrative.