Well, the final two games of Victor Wembanyama’s Olympic debut ended with tears in his eyes. However, both times for different reasons! While the 20YO was filled with pride and joy on Thursday after the semi-final win over Germany, he was left heartbroken tonight after he failed to lead France to a gold medal. After suffering a 98-87 loss against Team USA, Wemby got emotional while reflecting on his first Olympic experience.

With him making his Olympics debut in his home country, Wemby revealed if he was able to fully immerse in the moment, “Yeah, very much. It’s an incredible experience. The anthem is one of my favorite parts.” Even though everything seems possible if you have a player like him on the team, Wembanyama understood that his journey to the gold medal match was a rare achievement, “I know I’m only 20, but I don’t know when that will happen again. And it makes me want to cry again. It was just such a chance.”

During the previous two knockout games against Canada and Germany, Wemby was not very effective offensively as he finished with only 7 and 11 points, respectively. However, with national glory at stake in the final, Wembanyama gave arguably the best performance of his young career against Team USA. Utilizing his diverse skillset, he went off for 26 points on eleven of nineteen shooting and was the highest-scoring player of the game. Obviously disappointed that his performance was not good enough to get France the win, Wemby left the game in tears, using a towel to cover his face. Despite the loss, Wemby was filled with pride having won a silver for his country. “I’m going to enjoy the moment. I’m proud of my teammates. I’m proud of having what we’ve done here in France in front of our fans. I’m going to let it all soak in.”

Watch out for Victor Wembanyama!

Although Wemby wasn’t able to bag a gold medal, he surely became a better player after playing against the best teams in the world and dominating most of them except one. Obviously, it would have taken a special performance from France to topple the mighty Team USA, and not many expected them to do so anyway. But the 20YO Wembanyama gave multiple future Hall of Famers a run for their money and kept the game exciting till the very end.

What’s scary to know is that he will only get better from this point on. And even he believed that this Olympics experience will impact his entire career as he issued a warning for his future competitors, “Nobody is going to take that from me. I’m learning and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple years.” When asked if he was talking about the NBA or FIBA, he claimed, “Everywhere.”

After a dominant rookie season with the Spurs and a silver medal at the Olympics, Wemby seems well on his way to take the next step in his career. And the next time he steps on the court, it will be a must-see television for all the basketball fans. Do you agree?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger