The NBA is about to complete its first season under its new U.S. media rights deal, which is worth a mere $77 billion over 11 years. 

It couldn’t be wrapping up on a better note, with a dream Finals featuring a potential heir to the GOAT-adjacent throne against a traditional franchise with global recognition and a somehow-underdog star. 

While the effects are still rippling through the league, this is the kind of thing the league’s partners were dreaming on when they agreed to a deal that saw media-rights revenues nearly triple from an already-healthy-seeming $2.67 billion annually to $7.7 billion. 

Since the NBA shares those revenues on a roughly 50-50 split with its players, it means San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will be eligible to sign a five-year contract extension this summer that could pay the 22-year-old a cool $301 million.

He’s worth it to the Spurs, obviously. He might end up being underpaid. 

Wembanyama’s greatness has arrived ahead of schedule, bringing a young Spurs team along with him to the NBA Finals, which tips off Wednesday night. San Antonio is the second youngest Finals team in 50 years and a core of Wembanyama, Stephon Castle (23) and Dylan Harper (20) offers the promise of many more Finals appearances to come. 

But Wembanyama's also well worth it to the NBA in general. 

With LeBron James (41), Steph Curry (38) and Kevin Durant (turning 38 before next season starts) at the end of their competitive windows, the league needs a marquee star or collection of stars to take over. 

It would be hard to design a better candidate than Wembanyama, the French phenom who is already instantly recognizable because, well, he's seven-foot-five. 

He also gives every indication of being built for the spotlight and offers additional opportunity for global reach, with his European roots and African heritage (his father is of Congolese descent). And while big men are sometimes deemed less marketable or relatable, that........

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