Paris 2024 Olympics: Why France’s Victor Wembanyama is the next big thing in basketball (2024)

He is a newcomer to these Olympic Games yet he’s a known entity throughout the basketball world. Victor Wembanyama will make his Olympic debut for Team France on Saturday, 27 July, against Brazil after spending an entire NBA season wowing fans with his frame and skill set.

The 7ft 4in (2.24m) Wembanyama is only 20, but he dominated the NBA as a rookie, scoring 21.4 points per game along with 10.6 rebounds and a league-leading 3.6 blocked shots in a brilliant season for the San Antonio Spurs.

And he now gives Team France another element in the frontcourt to join four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Astoundingly, the presence of Wembanyama allows the 7ft 1in Gobert to power forward, giving the French a mammoth frontline.

Wembanyama, with his good looks and affable personality, should be one of the sensations of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. He has the size of a center but skills of a point guard, amazing his teammates and opponents in the NBA with his ball-handling ability and incredible athleticism that allows him to reach the rim from the 3-point line in merely two steps.

He was too young to play in Tokyo 2020 and has been eyeing a chance to play for the national team in front of his nation’s fans for years.

“I've been preparing myself for the Games since I saw the Olympics on TV for the first time,” he said. “Growing up, my goal has changed. The Olympics are a unique event in the world of sports, the most important competition.”

Victor Wembanyama is going for gold

Wembanyama will be no secret weapon to opposing teams, especially Team USA. He has played against all 12 American players in the NBA, including making a nifty crossover layup against the USA’s Derrick White in a Spurs loss to the Boston Celtics last season. Wembanyama may be a newcomer to the Olympics but he’s the present and future of the NBA.

He said he’s looking forward to playing against Team USA, which beat France in the gold medal game in Tokyo after losing to the French in the group stage.

“We know we have the chance to win gold. We won silver at the last Games, so we were not far away,” said Wembanyama. “The goal is to bring something new to the table. Our goals are something that we have never achieved before and we have to find the means to accomplish them. I am super excited and impatient to share the floor with all my colleagues, especially with Rudy.”

In last year’s FIBA World Cup in Indonesia, Team France, without Wembanyama, lost its first two games, including a 30-point defeat by Canada, and finished a disappointing 18th in the 32-team tournament. The goal is to atone for that showing.

“Bad results are part of the game and of one's career,” said Wembanyama. “It doesn't trouble me. I was not a member of last year's team but from what I see this year, we all have the same dream. We are in the starting blocks, ready to hit the floor with intensity.”

Victor Wembanyama leading the French revolution

One of Wembanyama’s treasured mentors is former NBA point guard Tony Parker, the first French player to make an NBA All-Star Team and also a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. Parker has served as a guide and role model for several French players and has overseen this current French revolution - the top two picks in the 2024 NBA Draft are of French descent.

“Victor had a great season,” said Parker. “He has adapted very well to the NBA. He is very competitive and consistent in every game. I can't even give him advice because he doesn't need it.”

Former MVP, 14-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant said he is looking forward to how Wembanyama, who led France with 17 points in an 83-82 exhibition loss to Australia on Sunday, reacts in the world’s biggest basketball competition.

“Just as much as you can play on that big stage is only going to help your confidence,” said Durant. “And as much pressure as it is for him, they’re expected to do a lot with him in the lineup now. All of that is good for you as a player. So I’m looking forward seeing his growth and where he goes and where he takes the league. He’s one of those guys that can push the game forward. So it’s a great experience, another stepping-stone for him.”

The Wembanyama sensation begins 27 July and the French team hopes he can lead them from Lille to Paris to Olympic gold.

Gary Washburn is an Olympic Channel correspondent and National NBA Writer for the Boston Globe.