Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson are really, really good at basketball

Did you have ESPN2 on last night? It was late — tipoff was after 10:00 p.m. EST — but the sleepy eyes you woke up with this morning were well worth it if you did. Why? Because you got to watch the future of professional basketball go head-to-head for the first time.

Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, a pair of 18-year-olds very widely expected to go No. 1 and No. 2 (respectively) in the 2023 NBA Draft, squared off in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. Even if you don’t follow basketball that closely, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of at least one of these two future All-Stars over the last few months.

Wembanyama is a 7-foot-3, unprecedented unicorn out of France. He’s a legit unicorn — not like when the term was tossed around to describe the likes of Kristaps Porzignis or Michael Porter Jr. Wembanyama is an actual unicorn. No one has ever seen anything like him. Like, ever. He’s an elite shot blocker with guard-like handles and an unblockable jump shot. He’s the type of player you can only compare to someone else by saying he’s “a mix of this all-time great and this all-time great”.

But if it were any other draft class, Henderson would likely be the undeniable No. 1 overall pick. The 6-foot-3 point guard has a veteran feel for the game and can score from all three levels with borderline elite efficiency. Think Anthony Edwards with his head screwed on right. Kentucky was actually recruiting the Atlanta prospect when he was still in the class of 2022, but Henderson eventually reclassified to 2021 so he could spend two seasons in the G League.

On Tuesday night, Wembanyama and Henderson went head-to-head — Wembanyama suiting up for Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 (France; LNB Pro A) and Henderson for the NBA’s G League Ignite. Expectations were understandably high for both players, and yet they both somehow exceeded them.

Henderson’s squad got the better of Wembanyama on the scoreboard (122-115), but it was the lanky European prospect who stole the show.

Wembanyama finished with an absurd stat line of 37 points, four rebounds, five blocks, one steal, and one turnover in nearly 33 minutes played. He shot 11-20 from the field, including a bonkers 7-11 clip from distance, to go along with an 8-12 mark from the free-throw line. His 3-pointers weren’t all wide-open looks either — Wembanyama was drilling pull-ups, step-backs, side-steps, and catch-and-shoots with ease, just to go down to the other end of the court and emphatically block or alter any opponent’s shot. He shoots/finishes at the rim like Kevin Durant and blocks shots like Rudy Gobert. Unrealistic comparisons right? Well, not so much.

Seriously, watch these highlights and tell me this kid isn’t out of Space Jam.

Henderson was equally as special though. Now entering his second season with the G League Ignite, Henderson posted 28 points, five rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and two turnovers in 31 minutes of action. He shot 11-21 overall, 2-3 from distance, and 4-6 from the charity stripe. First-half Henderson exploded for 18 points and scored at will. If a defender thought they had him contained, they sure didn’t. Oh, it looks like he’s about to lose the ball? Nope. He just parlays it into a nasty dribble-move that looked like he was planning it all along. The game just comes easy to him. Henderson was knifing his way through the lane and stopping on a dime for mid-range jumpers. He nailed a step-back triple right in Wembanyama’s eye.

Second-half Henderson was more methodical but just as dangerous. Nine assists to just two turnovers is extra impressive considering the hundreds of NBA scouts in attendance. He could start for an NBA team tomorrow.

And get this. You can watch them (hopefully) do it all again on Thursday! Metropolitans 92 and the G League Ignite will play Thursday on ESPN2 at 3:00 p.m. EST. You should definitely tune in.