sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

Victor Wembanyama (born 4 January 2004) is a French professional basketball player for Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A.[3] Listed at 2.20 metres (7 ft 3 in) as a power forward,[4] he is widely projected to be the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.[5][6]

Victor Wembanyama

Wembanyama with ASVEL in 2021
No. 1 – Metropolitans 92
Position	Power forward / Center
League	LNB Pro A
Personal information
Born	(2004-01-04) 4 January 2004 (age 18) Le Chesnay, France
Listed height	2.20 m (7 ft 3 in)[lower-alpha 1]
Listed weight	104 kg (229 lb)[2]
Career information
Playing career	2019–present
Career history
2019–2021	Nanterre 92
2021–2022	ASVEL
2022–present	Metropolitans 92
Career highlights and awards
Pro A champion (2022) 2× Pro A Best Young Player (2021, 2022)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  France FIBA Under-19 World Cup 2021 Latvia Team FIBA U16 European Championship 2019 Italy Team

Early life and youth career

Wembanyama was born in 2004 in Le Chesnay, France.[7] His father, Felix Wembanyama, is of DR Congolese descent and is a former long jumper.[8] His mother, Elodie de Fautereau, played women's basketball. His older sister, Eve, plays basketball professionally and won a gold medal with France at the 2017 FIBA U16 Women's European Championship in France.[9] Wembanyama's father and mother are 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres) and 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 metres) tall, respectively.[10]

Wembanyama grew up playing football as a goalkeeper and practicing judo.[11] Since he was four or five years old, Wembanyama was coached in basketball by his mother, who had played the sport.[12] He began his career at his local club, Entente Le Chesnay Versailles, and joined the youth system of Nanterre 92 at age ten. His parents refused offers from bigger clubs like FC Barcelona and ASVEL.[9] In February 2018, Wembanyama was loaned to FC Barcelona for the Minicopa del Rey, an under-14 tournament in Spain, leading his team to third place. He recorded 16 points and 15 rebounds in the third-place game.[13]

In the 2019–20 season, Wembanyama began playing for Espoirs Nanterre in the LNB Espoirs, the French under-21 league.[14] In February 2020, he played for Nanterre's under-18 team at the Kaunas Tournament, a qualifier for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT). On 8 February, Wembanyama posted 22 points, 15 rebounds and an ANGT-record nine blocks in a win over the under-18 team of Zaragoza.[15] He averaged 15.8 points, 12 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and six blocks per game, leading the tournament in blocks. He was named to the all-tournament team.[16] Through 13 Espoirs games, he averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in 20.1 minutes per game.[17]

On 23 September, Wembanyama made his 2020–21 Espoirs season debut, recording 22 points, 18 rebounds, five blocks, and four assists in an 86–74 win over Espoirs JL Bourg.[18] In the next month, he was assigned to Centre Fédéral, an amateur team affiliated with INSEP. Wembanyama made his Nationale Masculine 1 debut on 21 October, recording 22 points, 10 rebounds, and seven blocks in a 72–63 victory over STB Le Havre.[19]

Professional career

Nanterre 92 (2019–2021)

On 29 October 2019, Wembanyama made his professional debut for Nanterre 92, playing 31 seconds against Brescia in the EuroCup. At 15 years, nine months and 25 days old, he became the second-youngest player after Stefan Petković to play in the EuroCup.[20] On 23 September 2020, Wembanyama made his LNB Pro A debut, grabbing one rebound in four minutes against JL Bourg.[21] On 25 May 2021, he had season-highs of 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 99–87 win over Orléans Loiret.[22]

Wembanyama was named Pro A Best Young Player of the 2020–21 season. He opted to leave Nanterre after the season, living there since the age of 10.[23]

ASVEL (2021–2022)

On 29 June 2021, Wembanyama signed a three-year contract with ASVEL of the Pro A and the EuroLeague.[24] On 1 October, he made his EuroLeague debut, playing three minutes in a home game against Žalgiris.[25] On 3 April, Wembanyama scored a career-high 25 points on 13-19 shooting in a 85–65 home win over Le Portel.[26]

On 18 May 2022, Wembanyama won a second consecutive LNB Pro A Best Young Player award.[27] On 3 June, he suffered a muscle injury which forced him to miss the remainder of the Pro A playoffs.[28] Wembanyama opted out of his contract with ASVEL after the season ended.[3]

Metropolitans 92 (2022–present)

On 30 June 2022, Wembanyama signed a two-year contract with Metropolitans 92 of the Pro A.[3] On 4 October 2022, Wembanyama put up 37 points on 7-of-11 shooting from three, alongside four rebounds and five blocks in a 122–115 loss to the NBA G League Ignite[29] in an exhibition game.[30] In a second encounter with the team two days later, he scored 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 112–106 win.[31] His performance on United States soil gained him attention in American media, with sportswriters and NBA players praising Wembanyama's game and potential.[32]

National team career

Junior national team

Wembanyama represented France at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship in Udine, Italy. In an 80–78 quarterfinal win over Croatia, he recorded 12 points, 21 rebounds and eight blocks.[33] Wembanyama averaged nine points, 9.6 rebounds and a tournament-leading 5.3 blocks per game, leading France to a silver medal and earning all-tournament team honors.[34] He competed at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia. Wembanyama averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game, and was named to the all-tournament team after leading France to the silver medal. He recorded 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks in an 83–81 loss to the United States in the final.[35] Wembanyama set the FIBA record for blocks per game in a single tournament.[36]

Senior national team

Wembanyama was on the preliminary 17-man roster of the France national team for EuroBasket 2022, but was ruled out a month ahead due to an injury.[37] He was selected again for the World Cup qualifiers in November and is expected to make his senior team debut.[38] On 11 November 2022, Wenbanyama made his senior debut, scoring 20 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in less than 24 minutes of play, in a 65–90 away win in Panevėžys over Lithuania.[39]

Player profile

Standing at a listed 2.20 metres (7 ft 3 in) and possessing a 2.41 metres (7 ft 11 in) wingspan,[4][40] Wembanyama has received attention for his athleticism and fluidity of his game. In October 2022, LeBron James called him an "alien", citing "Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, well he’s more like an alien,” LeBron said after the Lakers’ preseason loss to the Suns in Las Vegas. “I’ve never seen, no one’s ever seen anyone as tall as he is, but it’s fluid and as graceful as on the floor… ".[40] NBA sportswriter Adrian Wojnarowski described Wembanyama as "the singular greatest prospect in NBA history."[32]

On offense, Wembanyama is a good shooter and three-point shooter and is a good shot creator with excellent ball handling skills.[41] Defensively, he is known for his shot blocking instincts.[41] His thin frame and weight have been labeled as weaknesses.[41]

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	PIR	Performance Index Rating
Bold	Career high

EuroLeague

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG	PIR
2021–22	ASVEL	13	10	17.3	.348	.303	.667	3.8	.5	.4	1.9	6.5	5.5
Career		13	10	17.3	.348	.303	.667	3.8	.5	.4	1.9	6.5	5.5

Notes

References

External links

• LNB profile

На других языках

---

[de] Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama (* 4. Januar 2004[1] in Le Chesnay)[2] ist ein französischer Basketballspieler, welcher seit 2022 bei den Metropolitans 92 in der französischen Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB) unter Vertrag steht.

---

- [en] Victor Wembanyama

---

[es] Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama (Le Chesnay, Yvelines; 4 de enero de 2004) es un jugador de baloncesto francés que pertenece a la plantilla del Metropolitans 92 de la LNB Pro A, la primera división francesa. Con 2,19 metros de estatura, juega en la posición de ala-pívot. Está considerado uno de los mejores jugadores europeos de su generación.[1]

---

---