1. Victor Wembanyama was unanimously named an LNB All-Star twice, winning the All-Star Game MVP once, and was a three-time Pro A Best Young Player.
76 Facts About Victor Wembanyama
1. 2.
Victor Wembanyama plays for the French national team, with whom he won a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics.
3.
Victor Wembanyama's father, Felix, is of Congolese origin and was a track and field athlete who competed in the high jump, long jump and triple jump.
4.
Victor Wembanyama's mother, Elodie de Fautereau, is a French basketball coach and former player.
5.
Victor Wembanyama played football as a goalkeeper and practised judo before focusing on basketball.
6.
Victor Wembanyama learned to play basketball from his mother, who was coaching youth teams.
7.
At age seven, Victor Wembanyama began playing for Entente Le Chesnay Versailles, before joining the youth system of Nanterre 92 at age 10.
8.
In February 2018, Victor Wembanyama was loaned to FC Barcelona for the Minicopa del Rey, an under-14 tournament in Spain, leading his team to third place.
9.
Victor Wembanyama declined an offer to continue his career with Barcelona, citing that the coaches were not willing to challenge him.
10.
Victor Wembanyama primarily competed in LNB Espoirs, the French under-21 league, and played for the under-18 team.
11.
Victor Wembanyama made his professional debut on 29 October 2019, playing 31 seconds against Brescia in the EuroCup.
12.
In February 2020, Victor Wembanyama played for Nanterre's under-18 team at the Kaunas qualifying tournament for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament.
13.
Victor Wembanyama averaged 15.8 points, 12 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and six blocks per game in Kaunas, leading the tournament in blocks and earning all-tournament team honours.
14.
Victor Wembanyama finished the Espoirs season averaging 10.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game, mostly coming off the bench.
15.
Victor Wembanyama was sidelined from the Valencia qualifying tournament for the ANGT.
16.
Victor Wembanyama started in 10 of 18 Pro A appearances, averaging 6.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, and was named Pro A Best Young Player.
17.
In Espoirs, Victor Wembanyama averaged 13.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks, starting in all five of his games.
18.
Victor Wembanyama played four games for Centre Federal, averaging 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and three blocks per game.
19.
On 29 June 2021, Victor Wembanyama signed a three-year contract with ASVEL of the Pro A and the EuroLeague.
20.
Victor Wembanyama was unable to play for one month at the start of the season because of an illness.
21.
Victor Wembanyama repeated as Pro A Best Young Player, averaging 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in the league.
22.
Victor Wembanyama averaged 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague and finished second to Rokas Jokubaitis in voting for the EuroLeague Rising Star award.
23.
On 4 July 2022, Wembanyama signed a two-year contract with Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A He was drawn to the team due to head coach Vincent Collet's reputation for developing and providing opportunities for young players.
24.
In October 2022, Victor Wembanyama gained recognition from American media after two exhibition games against the NBA G League Ignite, featuring projected second overall pick Scoot Henderson, in Las Vegas.
25.
Victor Wembanyama was selected to the All-Pro A First Team and named Best Defender, Best Scorer, Best Young Player and Best Blocker.
26.
Victor Wembanyama finished the season averaging 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game, leading the Pro A in each category.
27.
On 22 June 2023, Victor Wembanyama was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
28.
Victor Wembanyama became the first French player to be drafted first overall, and only the second European player to achieve this distinction.
29.
Victor Wembanyama joined LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the only teenagers in NBA history to put up at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in a game.
30.
Victor Wembanyama became the first Spurs rookie since Tim Duncan to put up 20 points and five blocks in a game.
31.
Victor Wembanyama joined Tim Duncan and David Robinson as the only players in Spurs history to put up at least eight blocks in a game as a rookie.
32.
Victor Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to put up at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game at 19 years and 338 days old, surpassing the previous record set by Dwight Howard.
33.
Victor Wembanyama surpassed Dwight Howard's record for the most consecutive games with a double-double by a teenager in NBA history with his eighth double-double.
34.
Victor Wembanyama became the first teenager in NBA history to put up at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a game.
35.
Victor Wembanyama became the first player to achieve a triple-double via points, rebounds, and blocks since Clint Capela in 2021.
36.
Victor Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to put up a 20-point, 10-block triple-double in fewer than 30 minutes played.
37.
Victor Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to record a five-by-five and did so in 30 minutes, the fewest minutes played in NBA history to achieve such a feat.
38.
Victor Wembanyama became the first rookie in NBA history to have back-to-back games of at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks.
39.
Victor Wembanyama joined Tim Duncan and David Robinson as the only rookies in NBA history to put up at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a game.
40.
Victor Wembanyama joined Raef LaFrentz as the only players in NBA history to put up 200+ blocks and make 100+ three-pointers in a season.
41.
Victor Wembanyama became the first rookie since Tim Duncan to put up at least 200 blocks in a season.
42.
Victor Wembanyama finished the season as the first player in NBA history to put up at least 1,500 points, 250 blocks, and 100 made three-pointers in a season.
43.
On 6 May 2024, Victor Wembanyama was named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the sixth rookie to ever win the award by a unanimous vote.
44.
Victor Wembanyama joined Manute Bol as the only rookies in NBA history to lead the league in blocks per game and total blocks in a season.
45.
Victor Wembanyama finished second place in voting for the 2024 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, behind Rudy Gobert.
46.
Victor Wembanyama was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, becoming the first rookie and youngest player in NBA history to achieve this feat.
47.
On 31 October 2024, Victor Wembanyama had his second career five-by-five, putting up 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and five blocks.
48.
Victor Wembanyama became the third player in NBA history to record multiple five-by-five games, joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Andrei Kirilenko.
49.
Victor Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to have multiple games with 20+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ three-pointers, and 5+ blocks.
50.
Victor Wembanyama became just the sixth player in league history to record 30-plus points and 10-plus blocks in a game, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Artis Gilmore, Dwight Howard and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
51.
At 20 years and 352 days old, Victor Wembanyama is the youngest player to ever hit the mark, breaking Dwight Howard's previous record by nearly two years.
52.
Victor Wembanyama became the first player with four 3-pointers and 10 blocks in a game in NBA history.
53.
Victor Wembanyama had a block in 62 straight games, surpassing the franchise record of 61 set by David Robinson.
54.
Victor Wembanyama became the third player in NBA history to score 40+ points and 15+ rebounds in a Christmas game, after Wilt Chamberlain and Nikola Jokic.
55.
Victor Wembanyama scored the third-most points for a player in his Christmas Day debut, behind Chamberlain and Tracy McGrady.
56.
On 30 January 2025, Victor Wembanyama was named as reserve for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, his first selection.
57.
Victor Wembanyama represented France at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship in Udine, Italy.
58.
Victor 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 honours.
59.
Victor Wembanyama then competed at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia.
60.
Victor 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.
61.
Victor Wembanyama set the FIBA record for blocks per game in a single tournament.
62.
Victor Wembanyama was selected for France to play at the 2024 Summer Olympics, which were held in his native Paris.
63.
Victor Wembanyama had 19 points and 9 rebounds in his Olympic debut in a win against Brazil.
64.
Victor Wembanyama helped France reach its second consecutive final, following a quarterfinal win over Canada and semifinal win over Germany, in which they faced the United States.
65.
Victor Wembanyama is widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA prospects in a generation; many publications called him the most anticipated newcomer to the league since LeBron James in 2003.
66.
Victor Wembanyama emerged as one of Europe's top prospects at age 14 and was viewed by analysts as a potential first overall pick in his draft class by age 16.
67.
Victor Wembanyama often plays on the perimeter and has exceptional mobility and skills for his size, with the ability to handle and shoot the ball like a guard.
68.
Victor Wembanyama is a capable three-point shooter and his jump shot is difficult to block because of his length.
69.
Victor Wembanyama is a productive scorer in the paint, with soft touch, a variety of post moves, and excels in the pick and roll.
70.
Victor Wembanyama's family has a longtime relationship with Ndiaye, whose son was coached by Wembanyama's mother from an early age.
71.
Victor Wembanyama was a year ahead for his age in school and attended lycee in agreement with Nanterre 92.
72.
Victor Wembanyama earned his baccalaureat with honours, specialising in earth and life sciences and social and economic sciences.
73.
Victor Wembanyama enjoys science fiction such as Star Wars, art, and literature.
74.
Victor Wembanyama is an avid chess player, and has played with fans in Washington Square Park.
75.
The jersey that Victor Wembanyama wore in his debut game was sold at Sotheby's for a record price for newcomers of $762,000.
76.
Victor Wembanyama has secured several high-profile sponsorship deals including partnerships with Nike, 2K, Fanatics, Barcode, and Louis Vuitton.