These are unique times in the NBA, where players enter the league younger than ever and stay longer than ever. It makes for some interesting interactions when young players somewhat nervously approach veterans and pay their respects.

These conversations have evolved over the years, from having a poster of their hero on the wall while growing up and wearing their jersey on the schoolyard to finally swapping jerseys on the court in a memorable moment of truth.

Kevin Durant has had a number of these tributes as he begins his 20th season, none more impactful than Victor Wembanyama’s revelation that Durant was his favorite player growing up.

Again, that makes Wemby one among thousands, if not millions, who were star-struck by Durant. But Wemby was born and raised in faraway France, stayed up late to watch NBA games and obviously arrived and became the future of the league.

So his endorsement of Durant carries a bit more weight.

And that endorsement continues. After leading France to the gold medal game in the 2024 Paris Olympics and falling short to Durant and the U.S., Wemby said, “I want to learn from him and perhaps steal one or two of his secret techniques.”

Well, as one of the projected 2026- 27 Kia NBA MVP contenders, he intends to make progress here in his fourth season.

And Friday offers another chance for Wemby to show the mentor what he’s trying to borrow.

The Spurs meet the Rockets (9:30 ET, Prime) and Durant is now a frequent divisional opponent in the West. Wemby has averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds against Durant-led teams. Durant gets to see what he helped create — a 7-foot-4 center who’s comfortable on the perimeter and confident enough to pull up from 18 feet and beyond when necessary.

Wemby’s deep shooting isn’t polished, though, and it was an issue Tuesday when he went 1-13 in the Spurs’ season opener. That’s part of an offensive game that remains a work in progress. Still, he’s determined to stick with the blueprint, realizing that a consistent ability to at least be a threat from 18 feet and beyond would separate him from most other big men.

When those shots connect, and they did last season when he showed improvement, it gives him an additional weapon offensively.

It’s a byproduct of copying Durant. As a teenager, Wemby saw similarities in their body types — both are tall and slender — and viewed Durant as the perfect archetype. And that’s for good reason; Durant is roughly 7 feet tall and his release point on his jumper makes him tough to guard on the perimeter.

What Wemby wants is to strike the right balance between a tall man taking advantage of his height for easy buckets in the paint and stretching the floor to flex a shooting touch that makes him unique for his size.

Durant said: “His jump shot’s getting better, his instincts for the game are getting better, his fundamentals are getting better. For the rest of his career, he is going to be guarded with physical defense and with two and three guys.”

In other words, like the defense that Durant demands.

At age 38, Durant is among a handful of stars who have been in the NBA as long as some players have been on Earth. These situations make them larger-than-life mentors and, even better, still active and therefore approachable. Rookies are competing against their idols in real time because the influence of Durant and other durable players remains great.

Here are the most influential active players who get their flowers every season from the next generation.

Stephen Curry

A no-brainer. Curry is among the greatest game-changers in history, along with Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and more. His 3-point shooting started a basketball revolution — and he’s still around to play against those who shot their way to the NBA. Curry is treated as a human shrine by rookies who now approach him every year and bow down.

Kyrie Irving

His handles can’t be duplicated but certainly copied by a number of young players who dribbled their way into the league, partly by studying his technique. Irving is a combination of fundamentals and sizzle, a hard double to pull off without a rash of turnovers.

LeBron James

Not many next-generation players will hit the genetic lottery as LeBron did, but they can learn from how he prepares for longevity through his diet, commitment to fitness and focus on injury prevention — all of which have helped him begin his 24th season.

James Harden

The step-back jumper, which creates space between a shooter and the defender, is now a fixture of the offense manual.

Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić

Aside from swaying a generous swath of up-and-coming professional players on the international market, these two supreme passers are feted for their ability to see the floor and elevate teammates.

Durant once touched on his influence on the next generation, saying he was thankful to be in that position and explaining why he takes the time to listen when players approach him and pay their respects, calling the practice “surreal.”

He said, “I’d like to think it’s because of the way I approach and respect this game and how I go about my business.”

He added: “It also means I’m old.”

Old, but not fading. Durant is at the career stage where he’s chasing immortals and milestones and climbing ladders. Next up is passing Kobe Bryant and moving into fourth place on the all-time scoring list; assuming good health, Durant should accomplish that by mid-season at his current scoring pace.

“It would mean a lot,” he said recently. “Being in the company of greats is always amazing. It shows how long you have to play, how consistent you have to be. It’s a milestone that speaks on the consistency of me as a player. To be amongst the names that I’m around is surreal, it’s hard to put into words.”

Wemby’s rough start to the 2026-27 season was a bit surprising on the heels of his best season, where he showed growth offensively. He averaged 25 points in just 29 minutes and shot respectably (35%) from deep and 51% from the field. Then, when the curtain opened on 2026-27, he missed his first 12 shots.

He seemed humbled by this and said, “I need to go back to playing the basketball I like. This is not the sport I like right here. I’ve got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. I’m good when I have fun. I missed a lot of shots I usually don’t miss. But after that, I didn’t go back to these shots, and I wasn’t decisive. I might be overthinking it. I don’t need to do more. I need to think less probably.”

One game is obviously a small sample size, and it also came against a very good defensive team that offers three seven-footers — Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Aday Mara — unlike most of the teams Wemby will face this season. The Rockets will throw Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun, but they’re not as athletic as the OKC big men.

If he truly wants to mimic Durant, Wemby will need to find a signature post move first, if only to put the defense on alert and create more room for himself on the perimeter.

“He’s on the right path to being one of the greatest we’ve ever seen,” said Durant, who knows about greatness. “It’s just about getting through those experiences and learning from them to get better.”

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