Victor Wembanyama
The 7-foot-4 alien from France. Victor Wembanyama went first overall in 2023, became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in 2026 and pushed San Antonio to the NBA Finals.
Wembanyama with the Spurs: Daiei Onoguchi, CC BY 4.0
A prospect unlike any before
Victor Wembanyama was a teenage legend in France long before he reached the NBA. A 7-foot-4 player who could dribble like a guard, shoot from deep and block shots from impossible angles, he became the first French player taken first overall when San Antonio picked him in 2023.
Scouts struggled to compare him to anyone. The nickname that stuck came from LeBron James, who called him an alien because his skill set did not seem to belong on this planet.
He grew up in a sporting family: his mother coached basketball and his father was a track and field athlete. He played professionally in France for Nanterre, ASVEL and Metropolitans 92, and in his last French season he led the league in scoring, rebounding and blocks.
Rookie records
Wembanyama was the unanimous Rookie of the Year in 2024 and became the first rookie ever named to the All-Defensive First Team. He also led the league in blocks per game, which he did again in each of the next two seasons.
His second season was cut short in February 2025, when the Spurs discovered a deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot, in his right shoulder. He was averaging 24.3 points and 3.8 blocks per game at the time. He returned fully healthy for 2025-26.
The 2026 breakthrough
In 2025-26, Wembanyama became the youngest player and the first unanimous winner of Defensive Player of the Year. He made All-NBA First Team, finished third in MVP voting and led San Antonio all the way to the NBA Finals.
The Spurs lost the Finals to the New York Knicks in five games, but Wembanyama averaged about 26 points, 11 rebounds and 3.6 blocks in the series. For a franchise that built titles around Tim Duncan, it felt like the start of a new era.
Why fans love him
Wembanyama is thoughtful in interviews, plays chess, and talks openly about his training. He won an Olympic silver medal with France at the 2024 Paris Games and was named to the tournament's All-Star Five.
For young players who grew tall early and were told to stay near the rim, Wemby is permission to learn every skill. Big men can handle, shoot and pass. He is showing the world what the next version of the game looks like.
His wingspan is listed at around eight feet, which lets him contest shots that look safe from almost any distance.
- Wembanyama with the Spurs: Daiei Onoguchi, CC BY 4.0
- Wembanyama in Paris: Thomas S, CC BY-SA 2.0
Text written by Fly Baller.
