A silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics should have been a good sign for Victor Wembanyama’s second NBA season. Following his country’s loss to Team USA in the gold-medal game on Saturday night, Wemby issued a warning to all future opponents.
“I’m learning, and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple of years,” Wemby told reporters, according to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News.
When questioned if he was referring to his opponents in FIBA competitions or the NBA, Wemby said, “Everywhere.”
In the 98-87 loss to Team USA, the 20-year-old phenom led the game with 26 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Wemby was overtaken with emotion following the loss, breaking down in tears before being consoled by his French colleagues and North American opponents.
The seven-footer averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks during the tournament, earning a spot on the Paris 2024 All-Star team alongside MVP LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Dennis Schroder, and Nikola Jokic.
Many pundits believe the Paris Olympics experience suited Wemby to take his skills to the next level as an NBA sophomore.
While he is hardly a postseason betting favorite, his second season in San Antonio will provide him with a lot more seasoned experience. This offseason, the Spurs added Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes to the mix, a year after handing rookie Wemby an inexperienced club with little playoff experience.
During his first press conference, Paul highlighted why he and Barnes are delighted to play with Wemby.
“There’s no player in the league that everybody talks about more after the game,” says Paul. “Me and Harrison were on our flight talking about how cool it’s going to be at this point in our careers to get a chance to appreciate him day in and day out.”
As a rookie for the Spurs, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks, which led the league. He was unanimously selected the NBA’s Rookie of the Year and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, trailing Rudy Gobert. In addition, the Frenchman became the first rookie to be nominated to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team.
