Victor Wembanyama is considered the most touted young NBA player since LeBron James. Now he will make his NBA debut in the regular season.
The 19-year-old forward plays like no one else in the world with his stunning height (7-foot-4) and stature (nearly 8-foot wingspan). Watching him take players off the dribble and make three-point shots from Stephen Curry’s distance is beyond anything you would expect from a young player his size. He is most noticeable on defense as a rim protector, effectively protecting the wings from the pick-and-roll switch.
Wembanyama grew up in Le Chesnay, France, a suburb 15 miles outside of Paris. His mother, Elodie de Fautereau, played basketball at a high level and his father, Felix, was a professional high jumper and track and field athlete. His older sister Eve also played basketball and won a gold medal with France at the 2017 European U16 Championships. As a child, Wembanyama played soccer and was a top goalkeeper before giving that up to focus solely on basketball.
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At just 14, Wembanyama helped French U18 team JSF Nanterre to second place in the French league, despite being three years younger than most of the players. It was around this time that Wembanyama came to the attention of other scouts across Europe. He was a lanky center who wasn’t afraid to shoot deep threes, attack the lane off the court and play the game differently than everyone else. It was clear early on that he would be a special player with his size and skill. Despite aspirations to move to Barcelona, a larger basketball city, Wembanyama chose to stay in France and continue his development, eventually playing for ASVEL Villeurbanne in the EuroLeague and on the France U19 national team.
Every NBA scout was tuned in during the summer of 2021 to watch 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren, the year’s No. 2 overall pick, take on Wembanyama in the FIBA U19 World Championship gold medal game. Holmgren is known as an elite rim protector, but it was Wembanyama (a year younger than everyone else on the court) who was incredible, recording eight blocks and adding 22 points, an MVP-level performance. Team USA narrowly edged France 83-81, with Holmgren winning the MVP award and finishing the game with 10 points and five assists in 23 minutes. Over the course of the tournament, Wembanyama set a FIBA World Cup record with 40 blocked shots, an average of 5.7 per game. Holmgren recorded just 19 blocks in the tournament.
France’s Victor Wembanyama during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers on November 11, 2022. (Photo by PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP via Getty Images)
“I’ve never seen Chet Holmgren as overshadowed physically as I was last year when the two met,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “He can and does virtually everything Chet can do, but he’s three inches taller, probably shoots better from three inches, maybe has a better feel for the passer and needs to develop a lot better than Chet.”
Wembanyama likely would have been the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 — and in most NBA draft classes. He is the best young player in the world and now the building block around which the San Antonio Spurs hope to pursue another NBA championship.
— Krysten Peek, NBA Draft analyst
Here’s how to watch Victor Wembanyama’s NBA regular-season debut
Wembanyama will play his first NBA regular-season game on Wednesday night when the San Antonio Spurs take on the Dallas Mavericks at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
📺 Here’s how to watch Wembanyama and NBA games this season.
While we wait, here’s a look at how some of the most hyped players in recent NBA history – all of whom were obviously drafted No. 1 overall – performed in their regular-season debuts:
October 30, 2002at Indiana (Pacers 91, Rockets 82): 0 points (0 of 1), 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls in 10:36 minutes
October 29, 2003in Sacramento (Kings 106, Cavaliers 92): 25 points (12 of 20), 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals in 42:50 minutes
October 28, 2008in Sacramento (Lakers 96, Trail Blazers 76): 0 points (0 of 4), 5 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers in 12:51 minutes
October 28, 2008vs. Milwaukee (Bulls 108, Bucks 95): 11 points (3 of 9), 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 4 turnovers in 32:12 minutes
Oct 31, 2012vs. San Antonio (Spurs 99, Hornets 95): 21 points (6 of 12, 9 of 9 FTs), 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block in 29:04 minutes
January 22, 2020vs. San Antonio (Spurs 121, Pelicans 117): 22 points (8 of 11, 4 of 4, 3 points), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers in 18:18 minutes
Victor Wembanyama is here as the NBA hype and comparisons grow by the day
No one does hype better than the NBA, using every opportunity to promote its current and future stars.
Often the trailer makes the film look better than it is. There were too many cases to mention, too many ridiculous cases where players weren’t worth the paper and had their posters plastered across NBA-sanctioned screens.
But in Victor Wembanyama’s case, no amount of preparation could prepare the basketball world for the journey ahead.
It starts on Wednesday evening against Dallas, in a friendly atmosphere, but the anticipation is high from all directions.
Buttoned-up Spurs couldn’t hide Wembanyama even if they tried, and it won’t be long before he really takes center stage – if he hasn’t already.
About 15 scouts headed out to watch the phenom’s final preseason game under the “pretense” of finding out who the Spurs might cut to get under their roster limit.
Yes, exactly.
Even team officials who didn’t see him play in person wanted to make the official pilgrimage, because as real as Summer League can be when seen on film, it’s nothing compared to preseason ball.
And that’s nothing compared to Game 1 of ’82, the first in what was sure to be a traveling circus.
Because Wembanyama could well exceed the hype, an almost impossible task.
🔗 Read more from Vincent Goodwill about Wembanyama’s expectations.
NBA rookie watch: Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren
If the NBA preseason is any indication of what the regular season has in store for this rookie class, this could be the most influential group of first-year players to enter the league in recent memory.
Victor Wembanyama is the early favorite for the top rookie award, but Chet Holmgren made it clear he was present when the two met for the first time on October 9, winning, 122-121. Wembanyama finished the game with 20 points, five rebounds and two steals in just 19 minutes, while Holmgren had 21 points and nine rebounds in 16 minutes. It’s clear this is a budding rivalry. When reporters asked after the game whether the two had an off-field relationship, Wembanyama simply replied: “No.”
Until injuries occur that keep him off the field for an extended period of time, Wembanyama is expected to be this season’s best rookie. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft came with high expectations and more than delivered in four preseason games.
He seems to do something new and incredible every time he steps onto the field, leaving the opposing team’s players shaking their heads in disbelief. In the recent win over the Warriors, Wembanyama blocked Klay Thompson’s 3-point attempt at the top of the key and finished with a dunk at the other end. In the same half, he also hit a faded 3-pointer off the dribble and converted an impossible And-1 while falling out of bounds behind the court.
“He’s like an NBA2K cheat code,” Stephen Curry said of Wembanyama last year. “Every point guard wants to be 7 feet tall and he is a great talent and plays a very entertaining game.”
It’s not even the regular season yet and some of the league’s best players are already asking to swap jerseys with Wembanyama. Chris Paul, an 18-year veteran, was seen exchanging jerseys in the tunnel after Friday’s game. It’s a trend that will most likely continue throughout the season.
🔗 Read more from Krysten Peek about the top rookies to watch this season.
Victor Wembanyama’s journey from France to the NBA
The day after the 2022 draft, Wembanyama was already at the top of Yahoo Sports’ 2023 mock draft rankings and remained there until his final selection.
“Right now it’s Wembanyama and everyone else for the 2023 draft,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports in June 2022.
There was uncertainty about whether NBA teams would win for Wembanyama, with the Spurs among the early favorites for the spot.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama and his French team, Metropolitans 92, traveled to the Las Vegas area in October 2022 to play two exhibition games against the G League Ignite and eventual No. 3 draft pick Scoot Henderson. The pair exceeded all expectations in the first game. Wembanyama scored 37 points with seven 3-pointers and recorded five blocks in 32 minutes. In the second game, he cemented his ranking as the No. 1 draft prospect with 36 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four assists.
Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite drives to the basket against Victor Wembanyama of the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 in their exhibition game on October 4, 2022 at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
When the ping pong balls fell on San Antonio in the NBA Draft Lottery in May, it seemed poetic that head coach Gregg Popovich would get another opportunity to develop a generational talent.
After Wembanyama officially declared for the 2023 draft, his professional season continued in France. He skipped the NBA Draft Combine when the Mets made it to the LNB Pro A Finals in ’92. Mets 92 were defeated by Monaco in the finals, a small relief for Wembanyama, who traveled to New York to prepare for the NBA draft.
During draft week, Wembanyama got his first look at the bright lights and demands that the NBA would bring. His sheer joy at being picked No. 1 — no matter how far back the result was — highlighted the best moments of the draft. He also promised that he wouldn’t be “too tired” to play in the Las Vegas Summer League and said he can’t wait to eat breakfast tacos in Texas.
The Summer League saw all-day session tickets sell out in advance as fans wanted an early look at Wembanyama. His debut wasn’t spectacular — nine points, eight rebounds and five blocks — but he made up for it with his second and final game of Summer League.
After three long months, at least in the Wembanyama hype period, the Spurs rookie played a (somewhat) meaningful NBA game, facing Chet Holmgren in his preseason debut. Wembanyama scored 20 points with five rebounds and two steals and, of course, started what would become a long highlight this season. His three other preseason games captured the highlights right up until the end with a photo so absurd that you simply have to see it to be believed.
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama blocks the shot of Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins during an NBA preseason game at Chase Center on Oct. 20, 2023 in San Francisco. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Now the hype and expectations continue to grow for a newcomer without any real comparisons. We’ll see how he performs in Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday… and then again for potentially 81 more games this season.
Read more about Wembanyama:
Meet Tim Martin, the coach behind Victor Wembanyama and his virtual training sessions and defense-focused drills
Unicorn? Extraterrestrial? In many ways, Victor Wembanyama is different from any NBA prospect we’ve ever seen
Why Nic Batum knew 14-year-old Victor Wembanyama was “next” and their deep French connections
Is it even possible for Victor Wembanyama to live up to the hype?
The Great Expectations by Victor Wembanyama
So how do Spurs build around Victor Wembanyama?
Spurs icon Gregg Popovich has another chance to be in the spotlight thanks to Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama’s show begins with a packed arena, a welcoming moment to the NBA and a muted stat line
For all the hype surrounding Victor Wembanyama, patience will prove to be the ultimate virtue in his development
Spurs team-mates on first impressions of Victor Wembanyama: ‘I’ve never played with anyone like him’
“Yes, he is different:” Former teammate Bilal Coulibaly has some interesting insights into Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama is here as the NBA hype and comparisons grow by the day
NBA rookie to watch: Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren, plus top guards, dark horse for rookie of the year
Victor Wembanyama wants to play as much as possible in his rookie season
It’s time for Victor Wembanyama: How the most hyped talents in recent NBA history fared in their regular-season debuts
How to watch Victor Wembanyama’s first NBA game and where to stream Mavericks vs. Spurs