History of Victor Wembanyama in Timeline
"Wemby", Victor Wembanyama, stands tall at 7'4" as a professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs. Drafted first overall in 2023, he's deemed one of the best prospects in basketball history and shares the title of tallest active NBA player with Boban Marjanović.
February 2003: Wembanyama's Father Acquires French Nationality
Victor Wembanyama's father, Félix, originally from Congo and a track and field athlete, gained French nationality by naturalization in February 2003.
January 2004: Victor Wembanyama is Born
Victor Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, France in January 2004.
January 2004: Wembanyama is Born
Victor Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, France in January 2004.
2013: Wembanyama Joins Nanterre 92 Youth System
Victor Wembanyama, at the age of 10, joined the youth system of Nanterre 92 after being noticed by Michaël Allard, a youth coach who was impressed by Wembanyama's exceptional height at such a young age.
February 2018: Wembanyama Plays for FC Barcelona in Minicopa del Rey
In February 2018, Wembanyama played for FC Barcelona's youth team in the Minicopa del Rey, a Spanish under-14 basketball tournament. He led the team to a third-place finish. Despite an offer to continue his development with Barcelona, Wembanyama decided to return to France, citing a lack of challenge from the coaches.
October 2019: Wembanyama Makes Professional Debut in EuroCup
At the age of 15 years, nine months, and 25 days old, Victor Wembanyama made his professional debut in the EuroCup on October 29, 2019, playing briefly for Nanterre 92 against Brescia. He became the second-youngest player to participate in the EuroCup, trailing only Stefan Petković.
2019: FIBA U16 European Championship Success
Representing France at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship, Wembanyama led the tournament in blocks, showcasing his defensive prowess on his way to earning all-tournament team honors and a silver medal.
2019: Wembanyama Begins Professional Career
Victor Wembanyama started his professional basketball journey in 2019, playing for Nanterre 92 in the LNB Pro A league.
February 2020: Wembanyama Sets ANGT Block Record in Kaunas
During the Kaunas qualifying tournament for the Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) in February 2020, Victor Wembanyama, playing for Nanterre's under-18 team, set a new tournament record with nine blocks in a victory against Zaragoza's under-18 team. He also contributed 22 points and 15 rebounds in the same game.
September 2020: Wembanyama Makes LNB Pro A Debut
Victor Wembanyama made his debut in the LNB Pro A league on September 23, 2020, playing for Nanterre 92 against JL Bourg. In a limited appearance, he grabbed one rebound in four minutes of play.
May 2021: Wembanyama Achieves Season-Highs in Win over Orléans Loiret
On May 25, 2021, Victor Wembanyama had a standout performance for Nanterre 92, recording season highs of 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 99–87 victory against Orléans Loiret.
June 2021: Wembanyama Signs with ASVEL
Victor Wembanyama signed a three-year contract with ASVEL, a team competing in both the Pro A and the EuroLeague, in June 2021.
2021: Wembanyama Leads French Team to Silver at FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Representing the French national team in the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, Victor Wembanyama led his team to a second-place finish, winning a silver medal. He also set a FIBA record for blocks per game during the tournament.
2021: FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup Excellence
Wembanyama continued to shine on the international stage at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, leading France to a silver medal, earning a spot on the all-tournament team, and setting the FIBA record for blocks per game in a single tournament.
July 2022: Signs with Metropolitans 92
In July 2022, Victor Wembanyama signed a two-year contract with Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A, drawn to the team by head coach Vincent Collet's reputation for developing young players.
October 2022: U.S. Debut Garners Attention
Wembanyama gained recognition from American media in October 2022 after two exhibition games against the NBA G League Ignite, impressing audiences with his skills and performance. The NBA subsequently announced that it would stream all Metropolitans 92 regular-season and playoff games on its app.
October 2022: LeBron James' Praise
Following Wembanyama's impressive U.S. debut against the NBA G League Ignite, LeBron James dubbed him an "alien" and a "generational talent."
November 2022: French National Team Debut
Wembanyama made his debut with the senior French national team in November 2022, contributing significantly to a win over Lithuania.
November 2022: Dominates LNB Pro A
Wembanyama showcased his dominance in the 2022-23 Pro A season, posting a career-high 33 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a win over Limoges CSP in November 2022.
2022: Wembanyama Joins Metropolitans 92 and Wins Pro A MVP
Victor Wembanyama joined Metropolitans 92 in 2022 and had a remarkable season, winning the Pro A MVP award, the youngest player to do so. He also earned the Pro A Best Defender honor, leading the league in scoring, rebounds, and blocks.
2022: Signed with Agent Bouna Ndiaye
In 2022, Victor Wembanyama signed with agent Bouna Ndiaye of Comsport. Ndiaye had a longstanding relationship with Wembanyama's family, and had been advising him since he was 15 years old.
January 2023: Continues to Excel, Declares for NBA Draft
Wembanyama continued to excel in the Pro A, becoming the youngest player to win the LNB Pro A MVP Award and declaring for the 2023 NBA draft in April.
June 2023: Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, making history as the first French player to be drafted first overall.
2023: NBA Summer League Debut and Early Exit
Wembanyama made his NBA Summer League debut, showcasing both potential and areas for development. After two games, the Spurs decided to rest him for the remainder of the Summer League.
2023: Anticipation for Wembanyama's Arrival
Wembanyama's entry into the NBA was highly anticipated, drawing comparisons to LeBron James in 2003 and prompting the NBA commissioner to address concerns about tanking for the chance to draft him.
2023: Wembanyama is Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs
Widely regarded as one of the best basketball prospects in a generation, Victor Wembanyama was selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 NBA draft.
January 2024: First Career Triple-Double
Wembanyama achieved his first career triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win against the Detroit Pistons in January 2024.
April 14, 2024: Youngest to Lead NBA in Blocks
Wembanyama, at 20 years and 101 days old, became the youngest player to lead the NBA in blocks for a season with an average of 3.6 blocks per game on April 14, 2024.
May 2024: NBA Rookie of the Year and Defensive Recognition
In May 2024, Wembanyama was unanimously named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year, the sixth rookie to achieve this distinction. He also finished second in voting for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, highlighting his immediate impact on the league.
2024: Wembanyama Wins NBA Rookie of the Year and Earns Defensive Accolades
Following an impressive rookie season in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama received unanimous recognition as the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. He also showcased his defensive prowess, finishing as the runner-up for the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award, which was won by his fellow countryman, Rudy Gobert. Wembanyama also made history as the first-ever rookie to be named to the All-Defensive First Team.