Victor Wembanyama might actually be an alien. Either that or he’s a top-secret French government project, engineered in an off-grid basketball lab, timed to perfection to ensure he’d be ready for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
No but really, it’s incredible that Wemby is a mere mortal who walks among us. Being blessed with such extraordinary height almost guaranteed a bright basketball future. It’s the all-around skill set that the 20-year-old already has that makes his ceiling basically limitless, and it’s what makes him almost impossible to describe via typographical means. We’ve never seen anything like him. Not even close.
That one-of-one phenomenon was on full display in front of a raucous French crowd in Saturday’s Olympic group play win over Brazil.
July 27, 2024 📅
Victor Wembanyama made his #Olympics debut. 🤯#Paris2024 x #Basketball pic.twitter.com/VaGj5IqB6x
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 27, 2024
After going down by eight points through the first quarter, Wemby started to assert his will on both ends of the court. When you have him and Rudy Gobert to patrol the paint with a smaller court than the NBA and no defensive three-second violations, it’s legit unfair. Never mind that Wemby can raise up and hit shots like this from 3-point range to spark a rally:
Victor Wembanyama three-pointer gets the home crowd FIRED UP at Paris La Defense Arena. 😤🇫🇷
📺 CNBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/xvDk2lR9Hy
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 27, 2024
But nothing got France going quite like the Michael Jordan Space Jam/Inspector Gadget Go-Go-Gadget Arms poster he put Brazil on:
What even is Victor Wembanyama pic.twitter.com/zl6NKFaChA
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) July 27, 2024
WEMBY REALLY DID THE SPACE JAM DUNK IN THE OLYMPICS 😱 pic.twitter.com/Q5MJQcNsfr
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 27, 2024
“Have you ever seen anything like (Wemby)?”
“Yes, on Space Jam” – Dwyane Wade 😂 pic.twitter.com/fhijGFL2ed
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 27, 2024
D-Wade weighing in. That dude threw down some pretty sick dunks in his heyday — and played with Prime LeBron at his athletic peak. To say he’s only seen what Wemby can do in fictional Hollywood storytelling, where the stunt still had to be carried out by a man who many consider the greatest player in basketball history, speaks to just how silly what we’re witnessing is.
I feel like I’m, like, out-of-body writing about this and that words are once again failing. How about a couple pictures, which could be worth as many as a thousand words apiece?
This photo of Victor Wembanyama's shot over Gui Santos is INSANE 😱
(📸: Gregory Shamus) pic.twitter.com/MZkDilsTWs
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 27, 2024
Wemby is so unearthly, I had to use two frames to fit his arm length 🤷♂️#Paris2024 x #Basketball pic.twitter.com/1Mm4ZLYyLA
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 27, 2024
I can’t believe Wembanyama is barely out of his teenage years. If the Spurs can just get their crap together and surround him with decent talent, the NBA is about to change in ways we can’t even comprehend.
For now, we can cherish Wemby in the Olympics as he tries to lead France to at least a podium finish on the hardwood. I’m praying for a quarterfinal, semifinal, or Gold Medal Game showdown with Team USA. The scene in that arena would be among the most electrifying in the history of the Summer Olympics.
Enjoy fuller Wemby highlights and more D-Wade gushing below.
“[Victor Wembanyama] is electrifying, & that’s not even a big enough word for what he brings. But what I love most about him… It's the patience of this player… To make sure that his teammates get involved & get into the game first.”
— Dwayne Wade 🙌pic.twitter.com/Xl1qZUEv43
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 27, 2024
Wemby highlights today:
19 PTS | 9 REB | 4 STL | 3 BLKpic.twitter.com/QC8PaJ8FNL
— WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) July 27, 2024
