Victor Wembanyama, standing at 7’4″ was a highly hyped prospect before he entered the NBA and he has not failed to live up to the hype. The way he moves at his size is just amazing. Even though his shooting might not be at an elite level, it is something that can be worked on as long as he has the heart. Additionally, being compared to Kevin Durant and Giannis as a rookie is crazy, don’t you think?

Moreover, did you know that Wemby played for the team that was owned by Tony Parker before he got into the NBA? Yes, he played for ASVEL in the Euro League for one year.

“You know Victor was with me in ASVEL, my team, the French team that I own and the whole time, you know he was with and had a great time. And we had great talks and we won a championship,” Parker told Kerri Walsh Jennings during his interview. But it was not until the 2023 NBA draft that Parker found out where Wemby got his inspiration from.

“When the Spurs drafted him [Victor Wembanyama] number one, he put a picture on his social media with my jersey when he was 10 years old. I saw that picture and I was like, wow he never showed it to me when he was with me in ASVEL”. 

And the Spurs’ icon even went a step further, bringing Michael Jordan into the picture. “So the way that Michael inspired me, I feel very proud that I inspire somebody like that,” Parker added.

Truly, Wemby has been an incredible influence since he joined the league last year. And coming from a legend like Parker, it’s nothing but a feather in his hat. Parker probably always knew that Wemby would be a good fit for the San Antonio Spurs. “He is unique,” Parker said.

“His set of skills is unique. We never saw a guy, a 7’5 shooting like that, and having the dribbling skills that he has, and the way that he plays the game, it is just different”.

Wemby is not afraid of opportunities and has been making use of them in both the NBA and the Paris Olympics 2024.

Wemby in the Olympics

Wemby and the French basketball team grabbed their ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympics with pride after defeating Japan on Tuesday. Their win-loss ratio continues to be 2-0 for now. Their fate was sealed in the last 16 seasons when the game went into overtime.

And Wemby did not disappoint the audience. He put on quite a thrilling show, going on to a personal 8-0 run to start that overtime, leading France to a 94-90 win. He finished the game with 18 points (team high), with 11 rebounds and 6 assists. And this wasn’t just it. He also put 2 blocks and 2 steals to his stat line. Shooting 6-for-13 from the field, Wemby was unstoppable on Tuesday.

Definitely, the Rookie of the Year winner is capturing all the attention he can, proving the likes of Tony Parker and several others right. His attacking and defensive prowess complement his height and wingspan, giving everyone some jaw-dropping moments.

Quite literally, he lives up to his nickname, “alien”. As funny as it sounds, it sheds light on the inhuman things that the 20-year-old is able to do. What are your thoughts on Victor Wembanyama?

And before you go, do check out this latest video featuring BG12 x Silas Demary Jr.