Victor Wembanyama

Rudy Gobert (L) poses next to Victor Wembanyama after an exhibition game on October 6. Steve Marcus/Getty Images North America/Getty Images.

But his maturity and his confidence, he’s very unique.” I didn’t do anything yet.” He’s also caught the eye of LeBron James who earlier this week said Wembanyama was an “alien” and a “generational talent.”

[VIDÉO] ▶️ À 18 ans, Victor Wembanyama est présenté par les suiveurs comme le plus grand espoir français que le basket ait porté.

- 5 C'est génial à regarder." "C'est un talent solide. Et "King James" de résumer : "C'est un talent générationnel." Mobile, rapide et adroit, il switche à volonté en mode passeur ou scoreur. Sa grande taille et son envergure de 2,43 m, qui en font une arme dans l'arceau, ne résument toutefois pas Victor. "On se doutait qu'il allait avoir un corps pour jouer au basket de haut niveau : sa maman fait 1,91m, le papa fait 2,05m." En deux saisons en Betlic Élite, l'intérieur, passé par Nanterre 92 (2020-2021) et Lyon-Villeurbanne (2021-2022), s'est forgé une belle réputation. Le cocktail idéal pour émerveiller le gratin de la NBA, à qui il a fait l'étalage de tout son talent. Malgré la hype dont il a fait l'objet outre-Atlantique, où on le compare à Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, voire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, le prodige garde la tête froide. Opposé à nouveau à la G-League Ignite, une équipe en partie composée de jeunes joueurs, susceptibles comme lui d'être sélectionnés par une franchise en 2023, Wembanyama a mis tout le monde d'accord (36 points, 11 rebonds et 4 contres). En 48 heures passées sur les parquets nord-américains, le longiligne intérieur de Boulogne-Levallois a claqué deux perf' de haut vol qui ont marqué les esprits.

ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported drafting Victor Wembanyama might add as much as $500M to the value of the NBA franchise. These are painful words ...

And that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the EuroLeague fans, who were ready to witness his greatness weekly on the biggest European stage this season. But he couldn't finish the season in the French league due to a muscle injury. The initial idea was to move Wembanyama to Paris. They would have played at least 68 games in EuroLeague and French league (excluding the playoff games). But as his agent Bouna Ndiaye recalled, that was never the case for Wembanyama. He bought some time and did meetings when Wembanyama's camp showed they would opt out of the three-year contract with ASVEL in June. He came back and finished the season with a couple of promising EuroLeague performances vs. They had one giant reason from an average domestic league club in Europe that overshadowed the tip-off of the 2022-23 EuroLeague season. NBA talking heads discussing Wembanyama's outings in the EuroLeague. ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported drafting Victor Wembanyama might add as much as $500M to the value of the NBA franchise. NBA people flooding the EuroLeague cities every week. With Chris Paul and Devin Booker sitting at courtside to witness Wembanyama's greatness?

LeBron James called him an alien. Everyone else is already calling him next year's no. 1 pick. Just how good can the silky 7-foot-4 star be?

The nature of the game today only amplifies the pressure on Wembanyama, given the obligations for a big to switch on the perimeter, defend every corner of the court, and handle the ball from the outside. Wembanyama plays a lot on the perimeter, but even with his slender 220-pound frame he boxes out for rebounds and absorbs contact in the paint. I asked a handful of executives what the risk really was for Wembanyama to play. He said a ton of friends and family texted him about it and his reaction was merely, “It’s cool.” There’s a maturity to the way the French star thinks and approaches both basketball and life. He already has a concerning injury history, including a fibula stress fracture, a scapula contusion, and an issue affecting the psoas muscle in his back. NBA teams view his family as a strong support system that will help him adjust to life in the NBA—and the inevitable fame that comes with it . Most execs around the league are confident in Wembanyama’s ability to become a reliable shooter because of his rate of progress and the work ethic he’s displayed so far. And sometimes, he’ll use that flexibility in a game to catch a body. I sat two rows back from the court and it didn’t take long for Wembanyama to make it clear he is the best prospect in the 2023 class, and the best prospect I have scouted in my He battled bouts of streakiness and shot 31 percent from 3 and 68.5 percent from the line in recent seasons overseas. Wembanyama is the first to admit it’s way too soon to anoint him as anything, but the Vegas showcase was organized in large part to display his talents on a worldwide stage. He stands at a towering 7-foot-4 and doesn’t even need to leave his feet to alter shots because he can stretch his 8-foot wingspan to swat away jumpers or poke the ball away from would-be attackers.

Fans react to the shoe size of Victor Wembanyama. Next year's top NBA draft prospect wears a size 20.5 shoe.

[LeBron James](https://www.si.com/fannation/sneakers/tag/lebron-james) called him an alien. [Giannis Antetokounmpo](https://www.si.com/fannation/sneakers/tag/giannis-antetokounmpo) said, "He's incredible, man. The skillful center played in the Nike GT Run during an exhibition game on Tuesday. Basketball fans everywhere are obsessing over Wembanyama's size 20.5 shoe (size 55 in Europe). We will have plenty of time to dream about the future of the French prospect. [NBA](https://www.si.com/fannation/sneakers/tag/nba) is bracing itself for one of the biggest tank jobs the league has ever seen.

Victor Wembanyama a fait sensation pour ses deux premiers matchs aux États-Unis. Ses performances n'ont pas échappé à l'oeil des meilleurs joueurs de la ...

« Ce type de talent et de niveau vous donne le sourire si vous aimez le basketball. « J'ai eu la chance de le voir jouer pour la première fois en 2021. C'est un talent générationnel, c'est certain. Ils vont avoir l'opportunité de le découvrir encore un peu plus très rapidement. Le basketteur français de 18 ans a brillé lors des deux matchs amicaux joués par les Metropolitans 92 contre la G League Ignite à Las Vegas. Victor Wembanyama a impressionné pour ses premiers matchs aux États-Unis.

L'espoir de la France Victor Wembanyama va briser la NBA cette saison avant même de joueur un match, ça promet.

Genre, une équipe avec plus de 70 victoires et une autre avec moins de 15. À deux semaines du début de la saison, la tension est déjà très haute dans le camp des champions et les équipes avec de grandes aspirations auront les dents longues. Dans la NBA, plus que dans les autres sports, trouver une pépite lors du repêchage peut changer le visage d’une organisation pour de longues années. Dans un duel direct contre un autre très bon espoir, Scoot Henderson, Wembanyama a dominé tous les aspects du jeu et avait l’air du meilleur joueur sur le terrain pour les deux équipes. Ça pourrait nous donner une saison historique avec un sommet très très haut et un plancher très très bas. Il a bloqué 5 et 4 tirs lors de ses deux matchs.

These five Toronto Raptors trade targets, including Gary Harris and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, may be traded as their teams chase Victor Wembanyama.

The Magic may have a better roster than last year, but even diehard fans know that this team is going to be in the lottery once again. While he chose to resign with Orlando and mentor the next generation, the Magic might bottom out and trade him to create a big three of Wembanyama, Paolo Banchero, and Franz Wagner. The Raptors need to be more prepared for a big trade than they normally would be early in the year. These five players will likely be traded at some point in the near future as their current employers try to find a way to land Wembanyama or the elite consolation prize that Henderson has become. Wenbanyama is so talented that many of the league’s poorer teams could decide to trade away their veteran assets as soon as possible to accelerate the tank job and get the best odds at the No. While the Toronto Raptors can take comfort in the fact that they have everything at their disposal needed for a deep postseason run, not every team is gunning for championship glory.

Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson squared off in two games this week, building more buzz. These six NBA teams have the best shot at drafting them.

The Thunder are not a playoff team in a deep West and are expected to be in the mix for the No. The Rockets are getting better but not yet good enough for a playoff spot in the West as they give their young and promising talent plenty of minutes. But playing in a tough Eastern Conference, the Magic are not a playoff team even with addition of 2022 No. The Spurs traded Dejounte Murray in the offseason after trading Derrick White mid-season in 2021-22 and may be headed for a painful rebuild. However, the three worst teams seeded 1-2-3 in the draft lottery also have a 27.4% chance to get a top-two pick. The projected top two picks in the June draft played again on Thursday with Wembanyama of the Metropolitans 92 going for 36 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

The projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft shined bright in two showcase games against Scoot Henderson and G League Ignite.

The comparisons have been all over the place, and we’re all struggling to find them. I didn’t play a game in the NBA yet, I didn’t get drafted. Eighteen-year-old Victor Wembanyama is not physically here to stay—he’s headed back to France to continue the Pro A season with his club, Metropolitans 92— [but with two dazzling showcase games against G League Ignite](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/05/victor-wembanyama-scoot-henderson-2023-nba-draft-g-league-ignite-metropolitans-92) (and [top U.S.-born prospect Scoot Henderson](https://www.si.com/nba/2021/11/18/scoot-henderson-g-league-ignite-daily-cover)), Wembanyama has arrived for good. There were many of them: Wembanyama’s presence in Vegas also overlapped with a pair of Lakers preseason contests against the Suns and Timberwolves. There’s a sense of wonderment that comes with watching him play—and how much he seemed to be enjoying himself—which makes it tough for even the most impartial of observers to keep a stiff lip. His defensive impact was easy to understand on film, but he shoots the ball even better than you might expect, and his overall comfort level handling it is something that has to be witnessed to fully comprehend. And as I understand it, that message is coming straight from the source: Victor himself is far too competitive to entertain the idea of sitting out games when healthy. Many franchises (I won't name names, but most of them are preparing for losing seasons) flew in large chunks of their front offices to watch him practice and play. [Wembanyama Week festivities](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/05/victor-wembanyama-scoot-henderson-2023-nba-draft-g-league-ignite-metropolitans-92) have come to a close here amongst the neon signs and freeways, but the story itself is very much beginning. While Henderson (who is officially day-to-day with a bone bruise) has been naturally cast as Wembanyama’s presumptive foil as a candidate for the No. Wembanyama is very arguably the most skilled basketball-playing teenager on earth, while he’s listed at 7’ 2”, tells reporters he’s 7’ 3”, and, to some speculative observers, may be taller than that. Thursday’s tilt tipped at noon local time and unsurprisingly lacked the same energy, compounded by the fact Henderson played just four minutes before knocking knees with Wembanyama on a switch, getting the worst of it, and sitting the rest of the game as a precaution.

This week, the French prospect traveled to the United States with Metropolitans 92 to play a couple of games against Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite. He ...

The photo puts into perspective how long Wembanyama is. This week, the French prospect traveled to the United States with Metropolitans 92 to play a couple of games against Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite. [210](https://www.nbadraftjunkies.com/victor-wembanyama) and [230](https://www.si.com/nba/draft/prospect-profiles/nba-draft-scouting-report-frances-victor-wembanyama) pounds depending on where you look — but his size, shooting touch, footwork and body control is going to make him a tough cover in the post. And trust me, there were plenty to choose from. Scoot giving off 1979 Bird vs. [Wembanyama vs.

Il n'a que 18 ans et a déjà toute la NBA à ses pieds : Victor Wembanyama est la nouvelle pépite du monde du basket-ball. Gigantesque (2,21 m), ...

Au micro de la chaîne ESPN, "Gobzilla" a participé au concert de louanges : "Nous avons de la chance d’avoir un tel talent, nous n’avons jamais vu un joueur comme Victor." C’est un talent générationnel", a poursuivi "King James". "C'est un honneur d'avoir des grands joueurs qui parlent de moi de cette manière, mais ça ne change rien. L’équipe de France est impatiente de pouvoir compter sur lui, alors que se profilent les Jeux olympiques à Paris dans moins de deux ans. Le magazine américain Slam, bible du basket, a consacré sa Une à ce prodige "venu de France pour secouer la NBA". "Il est capable de faire ce que des joueurs normaux ne peuvent pas faire. Le prodige a fait encore plus fort jeudi en conduisant les siens cette fois à la victoire (112–106) avec 36 points, 11 rebonds et 4 contres. "C’est un extraterrestre", a tout simplement commenté le joueur des Los Angeles Lakers. pour un "petit" Français de 18 ans, pensionnaire des Metropolitans 92, le club de Levallois-Perret (banlieue de Paris) évoluant dans le championnat de France. Outre-Atlantique, la presse parle déjà de "Wembamania". Il n’a que 18 ans et a déjà toute la NBA à ses pieds : Victor Wembanyama est la nouvelle pépite du monde du basket-ball. Si son équipe a perdu son premier match (122–115), lui a brillé en scorant 37 points et en réalisant 5 contres.

Plus que les simples scouts ou GMs, Victor Wembanyama a mis en alerte l'ensemble de la ligue ces derniers jours, superstars comprises.

Tout le monde est très excité à l’idée de le voir débarquer ici, donc on verra comment ça va se dérouler. Diffusés par le géant ESPN, les matchs de Wembanyama sur le sol américain lui ont permis d’être découvert et adoubé par les plus gros noms de la ligue. Tandis que la NBA se tourne de plus en plus vers l’international pour attirer ses talents, les prospects européens peuvent parfois encore peiner à se faire un nom outre-Atlantique avant leur draft.

In the two-game series, the projected No. 1 pick in next year's draft posted 73 points, 15 rebounds and nine blocked shots while making nine three-pointers.

[video link](https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1578374518116065282)). [Retweet](http://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoopsrumors.com%2F2022%2F10%2Fnba-buzz-over-victor-wembanyama-continues-to-grow.html&text=NBA+Buzz+Over+Victor+Wembanyama+Continues+To+Grow)4 [Share](#)0 [Send via email](#)0 … We plan so that we limit the risk.” “Just before we came in last Saturday, we had a meeting with our doctor and we are going to prepare to plan the next two months to increase what he is doing, besides the court, to strengthen the body,” Collet said. Watching him stand out against G League competition has added to his legend, including among a pair of former MVPs. The 7’3″ French center dominated nearly every aspect of the game, delivering 36 points and 11 rebounds along with highlight blocks and outrageous long-distance shots.

This week, the French prospect traveled to the United States with Metropolitans 92 to play a couple of games against Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite. He ...

The photo puts into perspective how long Wembanyama is. This week, the French prospect traveled to the United States with Metropolitans 92 to play a couple of games against Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite. [210](https://www.nbadraftjunkies.com/victor-wembanyama) and [230](https://www.si.com/nba/draft/prospect-profiles/nba-draft-scouting-report-frances-victor-wembanyama) pounds depending on where you look — but his size, shooting touch, footwork and body control is going to make him a tough cover in the post. And trust me, there were plenty to choose from. Scoot giving off 1979 Bird vs. [Wembanyama vs.