L’extraterrestre! You know what that translates to in English. It means “The Alien.” Now, who better fits that description than Victor Wembanyama? No one, that’s who! But do you know his journey to the big stage? The 7’2 center for the San Antonio Spurs and the French national team is widely known for his gigantic height and clever skills and plays. Already scoring 314 points, 155 rebounds, and 43 blocks according to the NBA, some could say he is a rising star in the making, a once-in-a-generation player. But what about his journey to the big leagues, his backstory? Well, now that is a once-in-a-generation story for a once-in-a-generation player.
Born on January 4, 2004, in Le Chesnay, France, the star was around 22 inches long and weighed around 13 pounds at birth! He was already a giant at birth. Born to Elodie de Fautereau, a 6’3 former basketball player, and Felixe Wembanyama, a 6’7 former Congolese star track and field athlete, specifically a jumper. Looks like athleticism and height are in his genes. His older sister, Eve Wembanyama, is also a professional basketball player in the French Women’s league, and his younger brother, Oscar Wembanyama, plays youth basketball and handball, following in the family’s athletic footsteps.
His mom was the first to introduce him to the game that is basketball. He started his youth basketball journey at a local basketball club, Entente Le Chesnay- Versailles. Because of his amazing height and understanding of the game, he regularly competed at age levels way above his age- and of course, he still cooked defenders and pulled off amazing blocks. In 2003, while playing a game for ELCV, he was able to impress the Nanntere coach, Michaël Allard. A funny incident, because of his height, Allard thought he was the assistant coach. Anyways, he was accepted to play for Nanterre, and he shone during the seasons he played.
“Traumatizing, sometimes, is the goal.”
-Victor Wembanyama
Then everything changed for him in 2019. It was a game in the Eurocup. He was only 15 years old, but the coach gave him a chance to play. That was his first-ever professional appearance in professional basketball. Next season, Wembanyama stood out on the court, helping the team finish second place in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament. The following year, however, he left Nanterre for ASVEL Basketball. ASVEL Basketball was the crème de la crème of the French Pro A League, a club owned by NBA superstar Tony Parker. Additionally, that year marked the FIBA U19 World Cup, one of the most prestigious youth basketball competitions. After a grueling run, defeating the likes of Argentina, Mali, Serbia, and Lithuania, it was only he and France against Jaden Ivey and the USA. After a close final, France still lost the final despite Wemby’s heroics. He still set the record for most blocked shots in a tournament and was named Pro A Young Player of the Year.
Projected to be the top pick for the NBA 2023 Pro Draft, he played a bit more after he finally entered himself in the draft in April of 2023. The following June, he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the number one overall player, the second European player to be picked number one, after the Italian Andre Bargnani. That season, the Spurs hit rock bottom, with a record of 22-60, according to Britannica and the NBA website. Wembanyama stayed strong, though, in his rookie year, averaging 21.4 points per game, 10,6 rebounds, and led the league in blocks with 3.6 blocks per game. He was voted for Rookie of the Year and won. His rise to greatness just kept growing as he was voted to his first All-Star team. However, tragedy struck, as in late February 2025, the Spurs announced that Wemby had a deep vein thrombosis, a type of blood clot, in his shoulder, and would not finish the season. This was a major disappointment as he was averaging 24.3 points per game, 11 rebounds, and a whopping, league-leading, 3.8 blocks per game. He was favored to win Defensive Player of the Year.
“For me, San Antonio is a city of winning. On lottery night, when the Spurs got the No. 1 pick, I was just thinking and feeling lucky that they got the pick as a franchise that has that culture. With that experience in winning and creating good players, I really can’t wait.”
- Victor Wembanyama
His national career has been short but powerful, as in the 2024 Paris Olympics, he led France to the finals, ultimately bitterly losing to the USA. He led France in points, averaging 15.8 points per game, rebounds with 9.7 rebounds, and assists with 3.3 assists. He confidently told the San Antonio Express-News, “I’m learning, and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple of years.”
*Quotes from San Antonio Express-News.”