Best of the Ben Maller Show

The NBA marketed Victor Wembanyama as a genetically engineered Greek god, the unstoppable force who would take the baton from LeBron and own the league. Two games into the NBA Finals, Ben Maller argues that the myth is being busted in real time. Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs are down 0-2 to the New York Knicks, and Maller says the 22-year-old has been directly responsible for both losses — a blown 11-0 lead in Game 1, followed by a brutal turnover and a missed wide-open game-winner in Game 2. When Wembanyama responded by saying he is "built for" the pressure, Maller pounced: the talk doesn't match the walk.

The myth versus the moment

Maller’s central argument is that the NBA’s marketing machine sold fans a Greek god, but the finals have revealed something far more ordinary. Wembanyama was supposed to be the genetically engineered heir to LeBron, the unstoppable force who would make the league his own. Instead, Maller says, the finals have exposed a player who zones out for long stretches, tries to play like Steph Curry when he should be under the basket, and makes catastrophic mistakes in the biggest moments. The Spurs were outscored 11-0 to close Game 1 at home. In Game 2, Wembanyama threw the ball off a teammate's back for a turnover, fouled Jalen Brunson, and then missed a wide-open jump shot that Maller says he would have made "10 out of 10 times." Maller calls it a "