Victor Wembanyama arrived in the United States to attend the 2023 draft on Thursday night and the reception is already crazy.
Victor Wembanyama will go down in the history of French sport overnight from Thursday to Friday by becoming the very first French player to be drafted as number 1. Unsurprisingly, he should join the San Antonio Spurs franchise which won the lottery there a few weeks ago. Since June 20, the Frenchman has arrived in the United States. Welcomed by many fans at the airport, “Wemby” has already seen its popularity across the Atlantic and it’s not over, far from it.
Surrounded like a rock star, the former Mets player has already left for Yankee Stadium to make the first pitch of the game between New York and Seattle. He was also a guest on JJ Redick and his podcast The Old Man and the Three. This Wednesday, he will also be found on “Good Morning America”, the ABC morning show followed by millions of Americans. Impressed by his composure and maturity, JJ Redick asked him what keeps him grounded and his answer is tasty. “You know, you just talked about the young players, and that’s something I think about a lot. There are reasons for that… I know, personally, I’m never going to become like that. I’m never going to lose touch with reality, and do bullshit. Simply because I know what I want. I am guided from deep within and nothing can deviate me from my path. I will do everything I can do, and I deserve what I get. What I believe is that some players are very talented physically or technically. But really very talented, but their head is not level with their body… They get results, they get titles, they get drafted… But in the end, they don’t really deserve what’s happening to them… My totem is bigger than basketball. It’s just life! It’s about fulfilling yourself in this universe. When I need motivation, when I need energy, when I feel tired, when I need to fight on the field, and it’s hard to always remember that, I tell myself that I am free in this universe. I can do whatever I want. And I know what I want to do, nothing can stop me. I always have that in mind, and it doesn’t stop at basketball. It is life itself. “
Short biography. Élodie de Fautereau gave birth to Victor Wembanyama on January 4, 2004 at Le Chesnay in the Yvelines. Growing up, the young man followed in the footsteps of his family, who were very invested in sport. His mother is a former basketball player who played in the 3rd division while his father is a triple jumper. His big sister Eve plays in the women’s Ligue 2 in Monaco. Cadet Oscar would be between two sports, basketball and handball.
Between 2011 and 2014, Victor Wembanyama wore the Chesnay Versailles 78 Entente jersey before joining the Nanterre 92 club at the age of 10. He remained there until 2020. In 2021 when he signed with the ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, he is designated as the best hope of the French Championship. A reward he received again in 2022 before joining the Metropolitans 92. In 2022, the new French darling left for friendly matches in the United States during which he received a host of praise from players confirmed Americans such as LeBron James.
With 2m21, Victor Wembanyama can look down on many people. Its large size allows it quite easily to reach the basket located at 3m05 from the ground (even with its 105 kilos). He is not the greatest basketball player in France since Vincent Pourchot exceeds him by one cm.
Standing with his arms outstretched, Victor Wembanyama has a wingspan of 2.43m, more than any other player in the NBA right now. Rudy Gobert, for example, has an estimated wingspan of 2m35 and Giannis Antetokounmpo 2.21m. If it seems disproportionate, Manute Bol, a Sudanese former player of the NBA had at the time a wingspan of 2m59.
Victor Wembanyama’s father is from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The basketball player therefore has Franco-Congolese origins.
Except surprise, Victor Wembanyama will be the first choice of the Draft in 2023. His talent has so dazzled the whole world that the NBA, for example, decided at the beginning of the year to broadcast all the matches of Metropolitans 92. And his margin of progress is still enormous. According to Forbes, Levallois-Perret’s prospect has a 14% chance of joining the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs or Detroit Pistons.
The Frenchman wears size 55 shoes on his feet. The average is 42 for a Frenchman. In the NBA, the most impressive shoe size was that of Shaquille O’Neal. The former glory of the Lakers was doing 63!
Victor Wembanyama’s multiple more than convincing performances earned him his first selection for the France team on September 3, 2022. Before being with the A’s, “Wemby” won the silver medal at the Euro in 2019 in U16. He also inherited second place with his teammates during the Under-19 World Cup, at the expense of the United States.
The destiny of Victor Wembanyama is promised to the NBA where he will undoubtedly hit the jackpot. While waiting to receive millions, Wemby would receive, according to the Parisian, between 15,000 and 20,000 euros monthly.