After having spent a season playing for the NBA in the US, Victor Wembanyama was bound to have something ‘American’ rub off on him soon. However, not only did fans get to witness an example of it sooner than expected, the player chose to display in his home country of France. After having secured a win against Japan during the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics, the French-origin star was audibly heard exclaiming “Lets f***ing go!” in full English. Whether the player was overloaded with joy or had simply watched too many promos of Deadpool and Wolverine, but this reaction certainly may have come as a surprise to many Wemby fans.

In the aftermath of the matchup, San Antonio Exprees sports columnist Mike Finger proceeded to engage Wembanyama in a Q&A session. Just like everyone else, the reporter was curious to know whether the “Lets f***ing go!” was a case of Uncle Sam rubbing off on him. However, the player made it clear that the phrase may not necessarily be an American thing, but something that can belong to the rest of the world. Especially those who indulge in his sports.

“That’s a basketball player thing,” said Wembanyama. “I think in Mongolia, Australia or the North Pole, they say it.”

Wemby’s moment to celebrate comes after he and his teammates managed to defeat Japan by a score of 94-90. Having already won their earlier matchup against Brazil, the two-win lead speaks well in favor of the host country. A significant amount of credit goes to Wembanyama as well, who lead the scoring effort with his 18 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. The score was achieved after the player went 6-12 with his field goals, 3-5 with his three-pointers, and 3-3 with his free throws.As rival player Rui Hachimura successfully managed to take the game into overtime, the 20-year-old managed to add 8 points within the 5-minute period and secured the win.

While the France victory was something that many would have expected, Wemby making use of the celebratory phrase was not. As the player himself stated, however, “Lets f***ing go” may not belong to just one culture or country. When the time comes to express that feeling of excitement in words, anyone can opt to do so.

Victor Wembanyama learned English from Instagram and TV

Making a mark in the NBA is no easy task, especially when you originate from a different country and haven’t had much experience playing against American players. Fortunately, the question of how to dominate over his fellow rookies and veterans was not one that Victor Wembanyama needed to work upon. Rather, one of his focal points would have been on making America a proper home for himself for the next couple of years. Thanks to an unusual way of self-teaching, however, Wemby was properly covered on the English part.

According to The New York Times, the French star looked to learning English by himself during his high-school days. For some, the usual way to be to opt for a course for listen to some audio guides. Wembanyama, however, created a unique and modern method by watching videos from American accounts on Instagram, and indulge in English-language television shows. If that isn’t a Gen-Z way, then what is?

“Knowing I would play in the NBA later, I was really interested in English,” said Wembanyama in a separate interview. “Basketball people speak English.”

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.