Is there anything he cannot do on the first day of the men’s basketball tournament? This was Wembanyama’s opening ceremony. French sensation, Victor Wembanyama, showed off his elite skills on both ends of the court and put on a show for the home crowd in his Olympic debut.
The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama skyed through the air like Superman for dunks, blocked shots and steals with his enormous eight-foot wingspan, that intimidated everyone who dared to come in his path, bringing jolts of energy to the sellout crowd and leading France to a 12-point victory, 78-66, over Brazil on Saturday in Group B of men’s 5×5 basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This was his first official Olympic event. He won the tipoff against Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo to get the party started, and France, which trailed by a dozen early in the second, eventually shook off rust and found their footing.
Wembanyama, who plays for Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, had 19 points, including 14 in the first twenty minutes of action, nine boards, four steals and three blocks. He was 7-for-13 from the field and left critical points on the board, going 4-for-7 from the free throw line.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn a France team with a boatload of experience and Olympic medalists, the 20-year-old Wembanyama was the best player and the unquestioned leader on the floor, a force of nature offensively and defensively.
French fans filled Pierre Mauroy Stadium, a soccer stadium 140 miles north of Paris that has been converted into a huge basketball and handball arena for the Summer Games, and they got their money’s worth. Especially with the NBA’s 2023-24 Rookie of the Year.
“You can’t underestimate the power of the crowd, the home crowd,” Wembanyama said. “I think it’s really going to be the sixth man for this whole tournament.”
Wemby took over in the second quarter after getting off to a slow start out of the gate, scoring 11 points as France erased a 23-15 deficit and took a 39-36 lead into the locker room. During a 40-second stretch late in the first half, he deposited two momentum-changing dunks including one that broke the Internet with its otherworldly Space Jam qualities.
“I think he did pretty damn good,” France guard Evan Fournier said. “He can do so many things that sometimes it’s like a burden because he doesn’t focus on just one thing.”
Wembanyama scored just five points in the second half, but had an assist, two steals and two blocks in the third quarter alone, as France took a strangle hold on the game.
“It’s huge to get the first one,” France center Rudy Gobert said, who is a 4-time Defensive Player of the Year. “We have very high expectations for our team, very high goals. We know how each game matters.”
