History of Victor Wembanyama in Timeline

Victor Wembanyama, often called "Wemby" or "The Alien", is a French professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. He is highly regarded as one of the most promising basketball prospects of his generation. Wembanyama possesses an exceptional combination of height, length, speed, ball-handling ability, shooting range, and agility. His unique skill set led to him being selected as the first overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 NBA draft.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1959: Wilt Chamberlain Christmas Game

In 1959, Wilt Chamberlain scored 40+ points and 15+ rebounds in a Christmas game.

1961: Wilt Chamberlain Christmas Game

In 1961, Wilt Chamberlain scored 40+ points and 15+ rebounds in a Christmas game.

February 2003: Félix Wembanyama Acquires French Nationality

On February 10, 2003, Félix Wembanyama, Victor's father, acquired French nationality by naturalisation, having been born in Belgium.

2003: Comparisons to LeBron James

In 2003, many publications called Wembanyama the most anticipated newcomer to the league since LeBron James.

January 2004: Victor Wembanyama Born

In January 2004, Victor Nonga Wembanyama-de Fautereau-Vassel was born in Le Chesnay, in the Paris region, France.

2013: Attention from Nanterre 92

In 2013, at age 10, Victor Wembanyama drew the attention of Nanterre 92 after Michaël Allard, a youth coach for the club, noticed him at an under-11 game due to his exceptional height.

February 2018: Loan to FC Barcelona for Minicopa del Rey

In February 2018, Wembanyama was loaned to FC Barcelona for the Minicopa del Rey, an under-14 tournament held in Spain. His team finished in third place.

October 2019: Professional Debut with Nanterre 92

On October 29, 2019, Victor Wembanyama made his professional debut for Nanterre 92 in the EuroCup against Brescia, playing for 31 seconds. At 15 years, nine months and 25 days old, he was the second-youngest player to play in the EuroCup.

2019: FIBA U16 European Championship

In 2019, Wembanyama represented France at the FIBA U16 European Championship in Udine, Italy. He recorded 12 points, 21 rebounds and eight blocks in a win over Croatia. He averaged nine points, 9.6 rebounds and a tournament-leading 5.3 blocks per game, leading France to a silver medal and earning all-tournament team honours.

February 2020: ANGT Tournament in Kaunas

In February 2020, Wembanyama played for Nanterre's under-18 team at the Kaunas qualifying tournament for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT). On February 8, he 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 in Kaunas, leading the tournament in blocks and earning all-tournament team honours.

September 2020: LNB Pro A Debut

On September 23, 2020, Wembanyama made his LNB Pro A debut, grabbing one rebound in four minutes against JL Bourg.

May 2021: Season-High Performance and Best Young Player Award

On May 25, 2021, Wembanyama recorded season-highs of 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Orléans Loiret. He was also named Pro A Best Young Player after averaging 6.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in 18 Pro A appearances.

June 2021: Signs with ASVEL

On June 29, 2021, Wembanyama signed a three-year contract with ASVEL of the Pro A and the EuroLeague.

2021: Injury at the end of the 2021-22 season

At the end of the 2021-22 season, Wembanyama suffered an injury which ruled him out of EuroBasket 2022.

2021: FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup

In 2021, Wembanyama competed at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia. He averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game, and was named to the all-tournament team after leading France to the silver medal. He set the FIBA record for blocks per game in a single tournament.

2021: Clint Capela's Triple-Double

Wembanyama became the first player to achieve a triple-double via points, rebounds, and blocks since Clint Capela in 2021.

July 2022: Signs with Metropolitans 92

On July 4, 2022, Wembanyama signed a two-year contract with Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A.

October 2022: American Media Recognition

In October 2022, Wembanyama gained recognition from American media after two exhibition games against the NBA G League Ignite in Las Vegas. In the first game, on October 4, he recorded 37 points, five blocks and four rebounds in a 122–115 loss. Wembanyama led his team to a 112–106 win over the Ignite in their second game, scoring 36 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. On 27 October, the NBA announced that it would stream all Metropolitans 92 regular-season and playoff games on its app.

November 2022: Senior Team Debut

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 against Limoges CSP

On November 4, 2022, Wembanyama posted a career-high 33 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a 78–69 win over Limoges CSP.

2022: Nikola Jokić Christmas Game

In 2022, Nikola Jokić scored 40+ points and 15+ rebounds in a Christmas game.

2022: Signed by Bouna Ndiaye

In 2022, Wembanyama was signed as a client by agent Bouna Ndiaye of Comsport.

January 2023: Game-Winning Dunk against ASVEL

On January 9, 2023, Wembanyama made a game-winning putback dunk with 3.5 seconds left in regulation, recording 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in an 84–83 win over ASVEL.

June 2023: Selected First Overall in the NBA Draft

On June 22, 2023, Victor 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, Wembanyama became a brand ambassador for the sports drink brand Barcode.

2023: 2023 NBA draft prospect

During his final season before becoming eligible for the 2023 NBA draft, Wembanyama was the consensus number-one pick in draft projections.

January 2024: First Career Triple-Double

On January 10, 2024, Wembanyama recorded his first career triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 130–108 win over the Detroit Pistons.

May 2024: NBA Rookie of the Year

In May 2024, Victor Wembanyama was named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year by unanimous vote, becoming the sixth rookie to achieve this. He also joined Manute Bol as the only rookies in NBA history to lead the league in blocks per game and total blocks in a season. Additionally, Wembanyama was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, the first rookie and youngest player to do so, and finished second in voting for the 2024 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

October 2024: Second career five-by-five game

On October 31, 2024, Wembanyama recorded his second career five-by-five game, achieving 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and five blocks. He became the third player in NBA history to record multiple five-by-five games. Also in October 2024, on November 9th, Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to have multiple games with 20+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ three-pointers, and 5+ blocks.

2024: 2024 Summer Olympics

In 2024, Wembanyama played for France at the Summer Olympics in Paris. He had 19 points and 9 rebounds in his Olympic debut in a win against Brazil. Wembanyama helped France reach its second consecutive final, eventually earning a silver medal, and was named the tournament's Rising Star and a member of the All-Star Five, averaging 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2 blocks and 1.7 steals per game.