If you can count only Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson among your company for an NBA stat, then it doesn’t get much better than that.
The likes of Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and Steph Curry are grabbing all the headlines this season for their game.
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But there is an NBA star who has quietly matched what only Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson managed in their first 80 career games.
He’s Victor Wembanyama’s teammate, and he raises the San Antonio Spurs’ ceiling even more after a Finals run last season.
When there are talks about the San Antonio Spurs, Wembanyama’s name is always at the top, but the roster around him is also shaping up nicely.
Chief among them is Dylan Harper, who surpassed expectations in his rookie season last year and is taking things up a notch in his sophomore year.
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He was a reliable Sixth Man last season, but has muscled his way into the starting lineup this year and is averaging more points, rebounds, and assists than last season.
This breakout has earned him company alongside Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, as he’s become just the third player after those two to 1000 points and 300 assists while shooting over 50% from the field as a player under 6’10”.
This might seem like cherry-picking stats, but for a sophomore to match any feats by two of the greatest basketball players in history is worth celebrating.
If anything, players over 6’10” are unlikely to be playmakers anyway, so that assist mark is what separates him from everyone else.
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Wembanyama decides whether the Spurs remain contenders for a long time, but the trajectory of players like Harper decides whether they get over the final hump and actually win it all.
Harper would like to be in Jordan and Johnson’s company for more than just this stat by the time he hangs up his boots, which is a long way into the future.
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