History of Victor Wembanyama in Timeline
Victor Wembanyama, "Wemby" or "The Alien," is a French professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs. Widely regarded as a top prospect due to his unusual blend of size, agility, and skill, he was the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. His unique skillset combines exceptional height and length with speed, ball-handling, shooting range, and agility making him a highly anticipated player in the NBA.
1959: Wilt Chamberlain's Christmas Day performance in 1959
In 1959, Wilt Chamberlain scored 40+ points and 15+ rebounds in a Christmas Day game. This is referenced as part of a comparison with Wembanyama's Christmas Day performance.
1961: Wilt Chamberlain's Christmas Day performance in 1961
In 1961, Wilt Chamberlain scored 40+ points and 15+ rebounds in a Christmas Day game. This is referenced as part of a comparison with Wembanyama's Christmas Day performance.
February 2003: Félix Wembanyama Obtains French Nationality
In February 2003, Félix Wembanyama, Victor's father, acquired French nationality by naturalization.
2003: Comparisons to LeBron James in 2003
In 2003, Wembanyama was compared to LeBron James, who entered the NBA that year.
January 2004: Victor Wembanyama Born
In January 2004, Victor Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, near Paris, to Félix Wembanyama and Élodie de Fautereau.
2006: Andrea Bargnani Drafted #1 Overall
In 2006, Andrea Bargnani was drafted #1 overall.
2013: Attention from Nanterre 92
In 2013, at age 10, Wembanyama drew the attention of Nanterre 92 due to his exceptional height.
February 2018: Wembanyama Loaned to FC Barcelona
In February 2018, Wembanyama was loaned to FC Barcelona for the Minicopa del Rey, where he led his team to third place.
October 2019: Professional Debut
On October 29, 2019, Victor Wembanyama made his professional debut with Nanterre 92 in the EuroCup against Brescia.
2019: 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship
In 2019, Wembanyama represented France at the FIBA U16 European Championship, where he recorded 12 points, 21 rebounds and eight blocks in a quarterfinal win. He earned all-tournament team honors while leading France to a silver medal.
2019: Wembanyama Starts Professional Career
In 2019, at the age of 15, Victor Wembanyama began his professional career with Nanterre 92 of the LNB Pro A.
February 2020: ANGT Qualifying Tournament
In February 2020, Wembanyama played for Nanterre's under-18 team at the Kaunas qualifying tournament for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT), earning all-tournament team honors.
September 2020: LNB Pro A Debut
On September 23, 2020, Wembanyama made his LNB Pro A debut, playing against JL Bourg.
May 2021: Season-High Performance
In May 2021, Wembanyama recorded season-highs of 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Orléans Loiret and was named Pro A Best Young Player.
June 2021: Signs with ASVEL
In June 2021, Victor Wembanyama signed a three-year contract with ASVEL of the Pro A and the EuroLeague.
2021: Clint Capela's Triple-Double
In 2021, Clint Capela achieved a triple-double via points, rebounds, and blocks.
2021: 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup
In 2021, Wembanyama competed at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, averaging 14 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game. He was named to the all-tournament team after leading France to the silver medal and also set a FIBA record for blocks per game in a single tournament.
2021: Silver Medal at FIBA Under-19 World Cup
In 2021, Wembanyama led his team to a silver medal at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup, setting a record for blocks per game.
2021: Injury at the end of 2021-22 season
Wembanyama suffered an injury at the end of the 2021-22 season and was ruled out from EuroBasket 2022.
July 2022: Signs with Metropolitans 92
In July 2022, Wembanyama signed a two-year contract with Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A.
October 2022: American Recognition
In October 2022, Wembanyama gained recognition from American media after two exhibition games against the NBA G League Ignite in Las Vegas.
November 2022: Senior National Team Debut in November 2022
In November 2022, Wembanyama debuted with the French senior national team, scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a win over Lithuania.
November 2022: Career High Performance
On November 4, 2022, Wembanyama posted a career-high 33 points in a win over Limoges CSP.
2022: Nikola Jokić's Christmas Day performance in 2022
In 2022, Nikola Jokić scored 40+ points and 15+ rebounds in a Christmas Day game. This is referenced as part of a comparison with Wembanyama's Christmas Day performance.
2022: Wembanyama Joins Metropolitans 92
In 2022, Victor Wembanyama signed with Metropolitans 92, marking another step in his professional career.
2022: Signing with agent Bouna Ndiaye in 2022
In 2022, Victor Wembanyama signed with agent Bouna Ndiaye of Comsport, continuing a long-standing relationship between his family and Ndiaye.
January 2023: Game-Winning Dunk
In January 2023, Wembanyama made a game-winning putback dunk in a win over ASVEL.
June 2023: Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs
On June 22, 2023, Wembanyama was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
July 2023: Brand ambassador for Barcode in July 2023
In July 2023, Wembanyama became a brand ambassador for the sports drink brand Barcode.
2023: Consensus number-one pick for the 2023 NBA draft
During his final season before the 2023 NBA draft, Wembanyama was projected to be the consensus number-one pick, leading to concerns about tanking within the league.
2023: Wembanyama Drafted #1 Overall
In 2023, Victor Wembanyama was selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA draft, solidifying his status as a top prospect.
2023: NBA Summer League Debut
In 2023, Wembanyama made his NBA Summer League debut against the Charlotte Hornets.
January 2024: First Career Triple-Double
On January 10, 2024, Wembanyama recorded his first career triple-double against the Detroit Pistons.
May 2024: Named NBA Rookie of the Year
On May 6, 2024, Wembanyama was named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
October 2024: Multiple high-scoring games in October 2024
In October 2024, Victor Wembanyama achieved several high-scoring games including a five-by-five game on October 31st and other games with notable stats, demonstrating his versatility.
2024: Wembanyama Wins Olympic Silver Medal
In 2024, Victor Wembanyama won a silver medal playing for the French national team at the Olympics.
2024: NBA Rookie of the Year Award
In 2024, Wembanyama was unanimously named the NBA Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-Defensive First Team.
January 2025: Wembanyama named All-Star reserve in January 2025
In January 2025, Victor Wembanyama was selected as a reserve for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, marking his first All-Star selection.
