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Roughly a month ago, Kai Jones took a shot at a few of his former Charlotte Hornets teammates, LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal. The former first-round pick of the 2021 NBA Draft displayed strange behavior on Instagram and Twitter/X that had fans wondering if there was something wrong with him. Jones did not report for training camp weeks after he claimed he was better than LaMelo Ball and rookie Brandon Miller. The Hornets eventually waived him after announcing on social media that he asked to be traded.
While Jones has seemingly been forgotten, O’Neal wanted to remind basketball fans of the talent that the young center may have wasted. Shaq posted on Instagram perhaps the dunk of the Las Vegas Summer League Games:
Kai Jones’ dunk on Victor Wembanyama gave the Hornets rookie the kind of attention he never had during his first two years in the NBA. Wembanyama’s debut in Las Vegas against the Charlotte Hornets was sold out. Everyone wanted to see the young Frenchman who was touted by many as the best prospect since LeBron James.
The play happened in the third quarter when the Hornets tested Wembanyama’s pick-and-roll defense. “Wemby” was caught in no-man’s land as he tried to toggle between Nick Smith Jr. and Jones. The San Antonio Spurs rookie was late in getting back to Jones who received a lob from Smith Jr. for the rim-rattling slam.
Victor Wembanyama had a so-so performance in his first game against an NBA team even if it was an exhibition game. The 7-foot-4 rookie finished with just nine points on 2-13 shooting to go with eight rebounds, five blocks and three assists.
The highlight of Wembanyama’s night was his matchup against No. 2 pick Brandon Miller. However, it was Kai Jones who gave the Frenchman his “welcome to the NBA moment.”
Victor Wembanyama’s NBA career is expected to take off while Kai Jones could be never return
After a somewhat underwhelming Las Vegas Summer League campaign, Victor Wembanyama showed in the preseason that he was the real deal. The No.1 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft has been dominant in games where he saw action. More worryingly for opponents, he’s only bound to get better as the season progresses.
Wembanyama told reporters during the San Antonio Spurs media day that he was in the best shape and condition of his basketball career. He has already packed more muscle as he prepares for his rookie season in the NBA.
While “Wemby” has been going from strength to strength, Kai Jones has fallen by the wayside. He wasn’t as highly-touted as the Frenchman but the Charlotte Hornets were excited to see him develop his talents. Jones could have at least competed for the Hornets’ starting center or power forward role.
Instead, he has made one bad decision after another. Charlotte waived him on Oct. 11 and he has been out of the NBA since. It remains to be seen if another team will give him a second chance in the future.
Kai Jones said on Twitter/X that he was the GOAT. For now, he will have to be content watching NBA stars, including Victor Wembanyama maximize the kind of opportunity Jones may have already wasted.
