It was just around a year ago that the buzz went from mild to much, much higher: As we started our first 2023 NBA mock draft, Victor Wembanyama — the Metropolitans 92 forward out of France — was right there at the top.
Here we are, months later, with the NBA’s worst teams in 2022 hoping the ping pong balls go their way for a shot at the No. 1 pick and the chance to take Wembanyama, who combines absurd size with a skill set that doesn’t resemble that of a traditional NBA center.
So as the buzz now goes skyrocketing up on NBA lottery night, let’s run through some fun facts about him:
1
His measurements are wild
Dude measured at 7-foot-4 (barefoot) and his wingspan is eight feet!
2
He can palm a basketball with two fingers
😳 @vicw_32 can “palm” a basketball… with just two fingers! pic.twitter.com/2K1UNDZsyU
— NBA (@NBA) January 25, 2023
3
He loves Legos
From our post last year:
“I feel like I’m an artist on an off the court. I love thinking about a lot of things and working to get an art piece done … I love drawing. I love building Legos. I love it. I love writing.”
4
The highlights are jaw-dropping
We called him a “basketball alien,” which sounds right. That’s what LeBron called him, too:
Victor Wembanyama is an alien pic.twitter.com/nahSxZIE0L
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) October 5, 2022
Victor Wembanyama showing off his range with back-to-back threes 💦
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/NpoDMMOOmp
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 5, 2022
5
He can pull of a one-legged three-pointer with ease
Victor Wembanyama is just not fair. 😱
(🎥: @TrashTalk_fr )pic.twitter.com/K4E25174LN
— theScore (@theScore) December 2, 2022
6
He can also throw down a put-back dunk ... of his own stepback 3
Wemby got his own rebound for the jam 😳
Watch live on the NBA App
📺: https://t.co/b5MGDG4xqB pic.twitter.com/SBJNqoNSSx— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2023
7
Some amazing stats to look at
For his LNB Pro A team this year:
21.6 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 3.1 bpg, 1.4 threes per game, 28.1 percent from three, 46.8 field goal percentage
Reminder: He’s only 19 years old. WOW.