4 Things you should know about Victor Wembanyama

• Victor Wembanyama is one of the best young players in the NBA
• The fact that he is being compared to legends such as Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem mean that he is a special talent
• Having been brought up in France, Victor Wembanyama did not play college basketball

Victor Wembanyama is one of the best basketball prospects in the world. The 20-year-old made his professional career debut in 2019 playing for Nanterre 92 in the LNB Pro A. Having impressed with his performance, he was drafted into the NBA and signed by the San Antonio Spurs.

Wembanyama has won several awards and is also a key player for the French national team and led the team to two silver medals at youth level. With that intro, let’s jump to the facts every basketball fans should know about that talented Victor Wembanyama.

Victor Wembanyama. Photo/ ESPN.

1. Wembanyama Was Born In France

Whereas many NBA players are born in the United States, Wembenyama is among the few who are citizens of other countries. According to his Wikipedia page, the San Antonio Spurs star was born in Le Chesnay, France.

2. He Comes From A Family With Sporting Roots

To start with, Victor Wembanyama’s parents are Felix Wembanyama (father) and Elodie de Fautereau (mother). Both Felix and Elodie competed at an international level in their respective sports. Felix, who was born in Belgium and acquired French citizenship through naturalization, is a retired track and field athlete who competed in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. Elodie is a former basketball player who played for the French national team and is currently a coach.

Wembanyama has a sister named Eve who also plays basketball professionally. Eve has already made a name for herself in the basketball world playing for France in various basketball tournaments. She has also played for the LDLC ASVEL Feminin club and was a member of the Women’s European Challengers team that won the title.

Oscar is the youngest in Wembanyama’s family and has followed in his siblings career path by also choosing to be a basketball player.

Victor Wembanyama and his family. Photo/ People.

But Wembanyama’s history in sports does not end there. While doing our research on his family we found out that his grandparents were also athletes who played basketball.

3. Victor Wembanyama Has No College Experience

Having been brought up in France, Wembanyama did not play college basketball. After playing at youth level, he began his professional career during the 2019-20 season at Nanterre. He was already making waves in Europe at the age of 14. 

His amazing performance, especially in  the LNB Pro A with Metropolitans 92, saw him move to the United States where he was signed with the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2023. He was selected first overall by the Spurs in the last year’s NBA draft.

Wembanyama is seen as one of the finest young players in the NBA right now. Several publications actually referred to him as the most anticipated newcomer in the league since LeBron James who was drafted into the NBA in 2003. LeBron himself has praised the Frenchman referring to him as an alien.

Wembanyama can hit three-pointers, which is nowadays rare in the NBA. He has drawn comparisons to legends such as Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

4. Wembanyama Stands At Staggering 7 Ft 4 In tall

Victor Wembanyama has been listed by various websites as anywhere between 7-foot-2 and 7-foot-5. However, the NBA listed him at 7-foot-4 during the 2023 draft. This is his official height and he was measured without shoes, as per the latest NBA guidelines.

Also, the San Antonio Spurs player has a wingspan of 8 feet, as per ESPN. His shoe size is estimated to be 20.5 by Sports Illustrated.

Wembanyama turned 20 at the start of this year, which means he still has room to grow and could become one of the tallest basketball players of all time.

Victor Wembanyama is one of the tallest players in the NBA right now. Photo/ NBC Connecticut.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Victor Wembanyama is undoubtedly one of the future stars in the NBA. The fact that he is being compared to legends such as Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem mean that he is a special talent. It’s just a matter of time and hard work before Wembanyama reaches where he wants to be.