Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama (born 4 January 2004) is a French professional basketball player for Nanterre 92 of the LNB Pro A. A 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) center, he is considered one of the best European prospects in his generation.

Victor Wembanyama
No. 32 – Nanterre 92
PositionCenter
LeagueLNB Pro A
EuroCup
Personal information
Born (2004-01-04) 4 January 2004
Nanterre, France
NationalityFrench
Listed height2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)
Listed weight109 kg (240 lb)
Career information
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–presentNanterre 92
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  France
FIBA U16 European Championship
2019 ItalyTeam

Early life and career

Wembanyama grew up playing football as a goalkeeper and practicing judo.[1] He played at basketball Entente Le Chesnay-Versailles and joined the youth ranks of Nanterre 92 at age ten.[2] When he was 14 years old, he stood 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in). His parents refused offers from bigger clubs like FC Barcelona and ASVEL.[2] In August 2019, ESPN called him the "15-year-old, 7-foot-2 French wonder."[3]

In the 2019–20 season, Wembanyama mainly played for Nanterre in LNB Espoirs, the French under-21 league, but occasionally joined the senior team.[4] He made his senior debut on 29 October 2019 against Basket Brescia Leonessa in the EuroCup. At 15 years, nine months and 25 days old, he was the second-youngest player, behind only Stefan Petković, to play in a EuroCup game.[5] Shortly after turning 16 years old, Wembanyama was called up to play for Nanterre's under-18 team at an Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) qualifier in Kaunas, Lithuania. On 8 February 2020, he posted 22 points, 15 rebounds and an ANGT-record nine blocks in a win over U18 Zaragoza.[6]

National team career

At the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship in Udine, Italy, Wembanyama led France to a silver medal and was named to the tournament's All-Star Five.[7] He averaged nine points, 9.6 rebounds and a tournament-leading 5.3 blocked shots.[8] In a quarterfinal win over Croatia, Wembanyama recorded 12 points, 21 rebounds and eight blocks.[9]

Personal life

Wembanyama's father is a former long jumper, and his mother played basketball. His older sister, Eve Wembanyama, plays basketball and won a gold medal with France at the 2017 FIBA U16 Women's European Championship in France.[2]

References
  1. "Size doesn't matter to France center Wembanyama". FIBA. 11 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  2. à 12h00, Par Julien LesageLe 6 mai 2018; À 16h14, Modifié Le 6 Mai 2018 (2018-05-06). "Basket : Victor Wembanyama, 14 ans et déjà géant !". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  3. "Scouting the top NBA draft prospects at the U16 Euros". ESPN.com. 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  4. Bebasket, Rédaction (2019-07-31). "Nanterre obtient le prêt d'Anthony Da Silva". BeBasket (in French). Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  5. "Nanterre 92 vs. Germani Brescia Leonessa - Game - Welcome to 7DAYS EuroCup". www.eurocupbasketball.com. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  6. "Victor Wembanyama, 16, has historic ANGT performance". EuroHoops. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  7. "MVP Dominguez headlines All-Star Five in Udine". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  8. "France at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  9. Rutard, Sacha (14 August 2019). "Euro U16: Propulsée par un phénoménal Victor Wembanyama (37 d'évaluation), la France se hisse en demi-finale" (in French). BasketEurope. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
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