Who Is Victor “Durant 2.0” Wembanyama
You’ve seen imports, but not like this, not like the French “Spider Man”. He’s young, talented, and on the radar of every professional basketball team. Our next Hometown Athlete may have the highest ceiling of them all, have a look at Victor Wembanyama.
The Climb To The Top
Who is Victor Wembanyama? Some say he is a future star.
Victor Webanyama: Bio
Imagine being 7’3” with a 7’10” wingspan, handles and foot work like a guard, highly touted by the basketball world, and you can’t even buy a beer legally in the US yet? This is what it’s like being Victor Wembanyama. He’s growing, getting stronger, and more refined. That’s scary news for whoever has to guard him in the coming years.
Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, France, basketball wasn’t his main sport. He loved Soccer and he practiced Judo. Being born to a mother who played basketball has its perks. In other words, it was no shock that he was trained by her starting at 5 years old. Victor joined his hometown club Nanterre 92 at the age of 10. His parents refused big offers from big teams such as FC Barcelona and ASVEL.
Growth
He was loaned out to big clubs as he got older. Subsequently his parents wanted to keep an eye on him as he grows and maneuvers his teenage years as a ball player. This strategy paid off well. Therefor Victor has become a top draw for the NBA Draft, and many other Euroleague teams. For the beginning of the 2019–20 season, Wembanyama began playing for Espoirs Nanterre in the LNB Espoirs, the French under-21 league.
Victor: U18
In February 2020, he played for Nanterre’s under-18 team at the Kaunas Tournament, a qualifier for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT). On 8 February, Wembanyama posted 22 points, 15 rebounds and an ANGT-record nine blocks in a win over the under-18 team of Zaragoza. He averaged 15.8 points, 12 rebounds, 2.8 steals and six blocks per game. Victor led the tournament in blocks and was named to the all-tournament team.
It didn’t take long for young victor to get his legs under him. For instance, on May 25th, 2021, he had season-highs of 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 99–87 win over Orléans Loiret. Wembanyama was named Pro A Best Young Player for the 2020–21 season. He opted to leave Nanterre after the season.
Humility
A stable household has served Victor Wembanyama well.
Wembanyama: Family
Victor comes from a household of athletes who seem to understand what it means to be an athlete. Wembanyama’s father is a former long jumper, and his mother played basketball. His older sister, Eve, plays basketball professionally as well. She won a gold medal with France at the 2017 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship in France. He’s clearly stayed out of trouble and continues to grow into a very special player. He shows the quality to make a great Pro not only in Europe, but in the apex of the basketball world, the NBA.
The Future Is Bright
As Victor Wembanyama gets older, he’s only gotten better. Are we witnessing “Durant 2.0”?
Durant 2.0: Victor Wembanyama
On 29 June 2021, Wembanyama signed a three-year contract with ASVEL of the Pro A and the EuroLeague. In addition on October 1st, he made his EuroLeague debut. We don’t think we need to say his future is bright, in fact it’s blinding. Let’s wish this Hometown Athlete best of luck going forward. We can’t wait to see him in the NBA soon.
Watch The Future
Another import ready to set the NBA on fire. Could “Durant 2.0” be the future of the league?
