My nephew is four years old and has become obsessed with basketball in the last month. He insists on playing basketball against me wherever we are — backyard, living room, winery, pumpkin patch, you name
it. So it was very exciting for both of us when we got to watch the Golden State Warriors play the San Antonio Spurs and 7-foot-4 center Victor Wembanyama.
He had a lot of questions, and I’d like to answer some of them here in a more complete fashion than I did during the broadcast.
- Is Wemby bigger than Steph Curry?
Victor Wembanyama is a lot bigger than Steph Curry, more than a foot taller.
2. Is Wemby bigger than a giraffe?
No, the giraffe is the world’s tallest land animal, reaching heights of up to 18 feet, far more than Wembanyama’s mere seven-and-a-half feet.
3. Is Wemby bigger than a baby giraffe?
Yes, but it’s close. Baby giraffes are around two meters tall when they’re born.
4. What are meters?
It’s about three feet. Other countries measure things in meters instead of feet. (I caught myself from inspiring a number of additional questions by mentioning “the metric system”)
5. Is Wemby taller than Thor?
According to Marvel.Fandom.com, Thor is 6-foot-6, significantly shorter than Wembanyama. However, the Avengers might well use Thor to guard Wembanyama, as his strength and lower center of gravity would be able to keep Wemby away from the basket and allow him to exploit his high dribble. However, Thor would likely give up more offensive rebounds in this scenario, despite his ability to fly. Actor Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, is 6-foot-3.
6. Is Wemby taller than Galactus?
Admittedly, I suggested this question. Officially, Galactus is 28-foot-9. The Marvel hero who comes closest to Wembanyama in height is Piotr Rasputin, aka Colossus, when he is in his armored form, but my nephew doesn’t know about the X-Men yet.
7. Who’s winning? (asked 35 seconds into the game)
When I told him no team had scored yet, my nephew yelled, “Oh COME ON!”
8. Who is wearing purple shoes?
Jimmy Butler.
9. Has a basketball team ever scored 100 points?
Yes.
10. Has a basketball team ever scored 200 points?
Not in an NBA game. The record is 186 points. I remembered this fact, but thought it was the Denver Nuggets who did it. It was actually achieved by the Detroit Pistons in a 1983 game against the Nuggets.
11. Has a basketball team ever scored a million points?
No. (This may not be correct if you consider the entire history of the Harlem Globetrotters)
12. Do you like the Dallas Cowboys? I do.
I do not. He does not actually like the Dallas Cowboys, but because his father roots for the Seattle Seahawks and his mother likes the San Francisco 49ers, this is how he can get a rise out of both parents at once.
13. Who’s faster: Steph Curry, or Wemby?
Steph Curry.
14. What’s a foul?
Something Draymond just did (a moving screen).
15. Why is that a foul?
Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green would ask the same thing.
16. What else is a foul?
Just keep watching Draymond, buddy.
17. Why did Steph Curry miss?
He got fouled before he took the shot, and he was trying to get free throws.
18. Did he?
No.
19. Why not?
Because a basketball team is allowed four fouls each quarter, except for in the final two minutes, where they have a “foul to give,” which… You know what? The refs are mean to Steph. That’s why.
20. Is that ref mean?
Yes. (They are showing Scott Foster.)
21. Are the Warriors winning now?
Yes.
