Bol Bol Got Caught On A Hot Mic Accusing The Refs Of Dickriding Victor Wembanyama
Before the season started, it felt like there were some that couldn't resist the urge of being the contrarian when it came to Victor Wembanyama. I suppose that's expected when one side is telling us that this is the greatest prospect since LeBron and one fo the true generational talents the NBA has ever seen, there's going to be the other side of the coin that tries to call him a bust before he even takes his first NBA dribble.
Part of that discourse was trying to suggest that really, all Victor Wembanyama was as a player is what we already have with Bol Bol
Fast forward to March 24th, I think we can all look back at that clip and laugh. As it turns out, the hype around Wemby wasn't only warranted, it might not have even been enough. It's also fair to say that just because they are both tall and skinny, there's a bit of a difference between Bol Bol and Victor Wembanyama when it comes to their abilities on the basketball court.
I bring this up of course because the two faced off last night, which brought us this moment
Alright, now in the spirit of fairness, that was a pretty weak foul. Yes, Bol Bol did make contact on Wemby when he first put the ball on the floor, so to me it's one of those plays where you could call it and be justified, but you also could let it slide and be justified as well. As an impartial observer, I see both angles. But remember, this is the NBA. Stars gets 50/50 calls and unfortunately for Bol Bol, Wemby has already earned that treatment.
Where things might get dicey for Bol Bol's bank account is the fact that I'm pretty sure the NBA won't love a player calling out a female ref for "dick riding" a player. Even though those of us who are online way too much know this is just common lingo for today's generation where sometimes you'll get a "dick eating" or a "dick riding" or a "glazing" type of comment when talking about pretty much anything. The idea behind it certainly isn't new, especially when it comes to NBA star treatment, but you spend 3 seconds online and you'll see that phrase thrown around with everything.
The fact that Bol Bol isn't exactly wrong with his stance that the play was a bailout phantom foul that Wemby most likely got because he's Wemby, and then having that comment get picked up by the hot mic is the cherry on top and why it's so funny. It wouldn't shock me one bit if the league dropped a $10K fine and say it was for disrespecting the game or whatever bullshit they use to justify stupid fines. A league that cares about its image and how players talk to/about refs probably doesn't let that slide, even if it's some funny trash talk (that was also right).
And hey, for at least a moment last night, Bol Bol did live up to the Wemby comparisons! Wemby had just 13/5/4 on 5-7 shooting in 21 minutes, and Bol Bol finished with 12/4/1 on 4-5 shooting in his 19 minutes in the Suns blowout win. So while the overall argument of Wemby vs Bol Bol is a blowout in Wemby's favor, there's something to be said about having a night where Bol Bol not only went blow for blow with Wemby all night but also managed to have himself a viral moment and a team win.
I'll just tell Bol Bol this. If you think the dick riding of Wemby is bad now, just wait. This is only Year 1. We're just getting started.