San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is already one of the future faces of the NBA. He won Rookie of the Year, led the league in blocks as a rookie, and finished games with stats that no other player could do.
He's been dubbed an alien by LeBron James. Adrian Wojnarowski called him the greatest prospect in draft history. But beyond these accolades, there are still facts about Wembanyama that many are unaware of. We've listed three of them.
Victor Wembanyama has a crazy wingspan
Aside from having guard skills at 7-foot-5, one of the most jaw-dropping attributes of Victor Wembanyama is his wingspan measuring an astounding 8 feet. To put this into perspective, when Wembanyama was drafted, he became only the second active player in the league to have such a wingspan. The other player who had a longer wingspan back then was Tacko Fall, having a wingspan of 8-foot-2.
Basketball is in their family's blood
Wembanyama's family boasts a rich basketball heritage that significantly influences his journey. His older sister, Eve Wembanyama, plays professional basketball for Monaco and is a regular name on France's women's basketball team. His 17-year-old younger brother Oscar plays for the LDLC ASVEL U-21 team in France and is currently listed at 6-foot-7.
He spent his first paycheck buying Legos
When Victor Wembanyama was drafted by the Spurs in the 2023 NBA draft, he signed a 4-year contract worth $55 million. This meant he'd make over $10 million in his first season alone. While you'll see most players spend their first paycheck on cars, jewelry, or even a mansion, Wembanyama's first purchase was to pay for something he'd wanted for a long time.
Growing up, if he wasn't playing basketball, he was watching Star Wars at home. As a huge fan of the movie, his first purchase was spending $850 to have a Millennium Falcon LEGO set… One of the biggest Lego sets known to man. Building this takes so much time the Guinness world record for the fastest time to build it was 7 hours and 36 minutes.
While the hype surrounding Wembanyama is crazy, his work ethic, humility, and passion for the game are equally impressive. His dedication to basketball is evident in his diet, sleeping habits, and how he performs on the court. As Wembanyama enters his second NBA season, everyone will be closely watching to see what records he'll break next.
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