The spotlight is on Victor Wembanyama.
The 19-year-old basketball phenom from France has been the talk of the NBA world — with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski touting him as “the most highly anticipated player to ever enter the NBA… Maybe the greatest prospect in the history of team sports.”
In May 2023, the Spurs won the Wembanyama sweepstakes by winning the 2023 NBA Dratt Lottery to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Learn more about Wembanyama:
Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, a commune in the western suburbs of Paris.
While there are conflicting reports about his height, he is considered at minimum 7-foot-2, and ESPN reported Wembanyama is 7-foot-5.
Wembanyama has played for the Metropolitans 92.
He finished his 2023 regular season in France’s top Pro A League with averages of 22 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
His 22-point effort clinched the league’s scoring title in his third professional season in France.
Wembanyama — who has a wingspan of eight feet, and can palm a basketball with two fingers — is a dominant force on both ends of the floor, and an elite rim-protector, with a solid three-point shot.
His overall skillset at his size has sparked conversations about modern day big men in the NBA.
Lakers superstar LeBron James called him an “alien” due to this physical long frame and skillset on the court.
Wembanyama comes from a family of athletes.
His father Felix Wembanyama, who is 6-foot-6, is a former field athlete, while his mother, 6-foot-3 Elodie de Fautereau, is a former basketball player and current coach.
Wembanyama’s older sister, Eve, is basketball player and won gold with France at the FIBA U16 European championships in 2017.
His younger brother Oscar, 15, is a rising basketball player, and recently signed for ASVEL’s U18 team.
Outside the game of basketball, Wembanyama enjoys flexing his creative muscles with drawing and writing.
“I feel like I’m an artist on an off the court,” he said in August 2022 while at U18 French Select during the AXE Euro Tour.
“I love thinking about a lot of things and working to get an art piece done … I love drawing. I love building Legos. I love it. I love writing.”
Wembanyama was first scouted during an U11 game in Versailles, according to Olympics.com.
Michael Allard, the coach of Nanterre basketball club, was there to watch and thought Wembanyama was part of the coaching staff.
That’s when Allard phoned the technical director in charge of the U11 programme at JSF Nanterre to tell them about Wembanyama — and shortly after the Frenchman moved to the club and stayed there through the youth ranks. He made his professional debut for Nanterre in EuroCup in 2019.
After the Spurs landed the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wembanyama was ecstatic, and gave a preview of what’s to come.
“[They’re getting] a team player,” he told ESPN in May 2023, while celebrating at a draft lottery party in Paris. “I’m going to make everything to win as many games as I can. And I’m trying to win a ring ASAP, so be ready!”
Wembanyama, who sat with his parents during the draft lottery party, broke down in tears when the Spurs secured the No. 1 overall pick.
“There’s a special relation between France and the Spurs because of Tony [Parker] and Boris [Diaw],” Wembanyama said of the French former NBA stars.
“I know half of the country, maybe if not, the whole country wanted the Spurs to have the first pick.”
After the Spurs won the draft lottery jackpot, general manager Brian Wright called it “an incredible day” for the franchise and the fans.