Celebrity Biographies
Victor Wembanyama Biography And Net Worth
Meet Victor Wembanyama: The Rising Basketball Star
Victor Wembanyama, commonly referred to as Wemby is a French professional basketball player currently representing the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the most promising basketball talents of his generation, he clinched the top spot in the 2023 NBA draft, chosen by the Spurs.
Wembanyama is seen as one of the best NBA prospects in a long time. Many say he’s the most expected player since LeBron James in 2003. People noticed his talent when he was just 14, and by 16, experts thought he might be the first pick in his draft. In his last season before the 2023 NBA draft, most people thought he would be the top pick. The NBA is keeping a close eye on teams trying to lose on purpose to get a chance at getting such an amazing player in the 2023 draft.
Let’s take a closer look at the life and background of this young athlete while delving into his biography, career, and net worth.
Bio Data
| Full Name | Victor Wembanyama |
| Popularly Known As | Wemby |
| Date Of Birth | 4 January 2004 |
| Age | 19Years Old |
| Place Of Birth | Le Chesnay, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Profession | Basketball Player |
| Net Worth | $10 Million |
| Relationship Status | Single |
Biography
Wembanyama was born on January 4, 2004, in Le Chesnay, France, has a Congolese father named Félix who used to be a track and field athlete, participating in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump. His mother, Elodie de Fautereau, is a basketball coach and former player. Wembanyama has an older sister, Eve, who plays professional basketball, and a younger brother, Oscar, who has played basketball and handball at a youth level. His grandfather, Michel de Fautereau, also played professional basketball, and his grandmother, Marie Christine, was a basketball player too.
Victor Wembanyama used to play football as a goalkeeper and practiced judo before he decided to focus on basketball. His mother, who coached youth teams, taught him how to play basketball. When he was seven years old, he started playing for Entente Le Chesnay Versailles. Later, at the age of 10, he joined the youth program of Nanterre 92. In 2013, Nanterre noticed him when their youth coach, Michaël Allard, spotted him on the bench during an under-11 game due to his extraordinary height, which was 1.80 meters at the time. Allard initially thought he was a coach. In February 2018, Wembanyama played for FC Barcelona during the Minicopa del Rey, an under-14 tournament in Spain, where he helped his team secure third place. However, he turned down an offer to continue with Barcelona, stating that the coaches were not willing to push him to improve.
Career
In the 2019-20 season, Wembanyama played his first pro basketball with the Nanterre 92 team, coached by Pascal Donnadieu. He didn’t play much, only two games. Mostly, he played in the French under-21 league and the under-18 team. His first pro game was on October 29, 2019, in the EuroCup, where he played just 31 seconds. He was really young, just 15 years old, making him the second youngest player in EuroCup history. In February 2020, he played for Nanterre’s under-18 team and had an amazing game with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and a record nine blocks. He did really well in that tournament, leading in blocks and making the all-tournament team. Overall, he had a decent season in the under-21 league, averaging 10.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game.
2020–22
In the 2020-21 season, Wembanyama played for Nanterre’s senior and under-21 teams and also agreed to play for Centre Fédéral in the Nationale Masculine 1. On September 23, 2020, he had his first game in the LNB Pro A league, but he only played four minutes and grabbed one rebound. In October, he gained attention when he played against Rudy Gobert and Vincent Poirier in a viral video. On December 12, he got injured during a game and needed eight weeks to recover. After coming back from the injury, he played more with the senior team and had a good game in May 2021 with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He played 10 games in Pro A, averaging 6.8 points and 4.7 rebounds, and was named Pro A Best Young Player. In the under-21 league, he averaged 13.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks. After the season, he left Nanterre.
On June 29, 2021, Wembanyama signed a three-year contract with ASVEL in the Pro A and the EuroLeague. However, he couldn’t play for a month due to illness. On October 1, he made his EuroLeague debut with one block in three minutes. He got injured on November 10, with a fractured finger and returned on December 2, but got injured again on December 20. He was selected for the LNB All-Star Game but couldn’t play because of his injury. Victor came back in February and had some good games, including a season-high of 25 points in April. He decided to leave ASVEL after the season, despite promises to build the team around him.
2022–present
Wembanyama signed a two-year contract with Metropolitans 92 on July 4, 2022, drawn by coach Vincent Collet’s reputation for developing young players. In October 2022, he earned recognition in the U.S. after two exhibition games against the NBA G League Ignite, where he scored many points. During the 2022-23 Pro A season, he emerged as one of the league’s top players.
Victor achieved a career-high game in November, recording 33 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. He continued to excel in December, posting a fourth consecutive 30-point game. He assumed the role of captain for the France team at the LNB All-Star Game and became the game’s youngest MVP. In January, he sealed victory with a game-winning dunk and delivered a stellar performance with 31 points. He declared his entry into the 2023 NBA draft and earned several awards, including LNB Pro A MVP. In the playoffs, his team reached the finals but suffered a sweep by AS Monaco.
On June 22, 2023, the San Antonio Spurs drafted Wembanyama as the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. This marked a historic moment as he became the first French player and the second European player ever to be drafted first overall by the Spurs, following in the footsteps of legends such as David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
National Team Career
Wembanyama played for the French junior national basketball team. In 2019, at the FIBA U16 European Championship, he helped France win silver. In one game, he had 12 points, 21 rebounds, and eight blocks. He also set a tournament record with 5.3 blocks per game.
In 2021, at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, Wembanyama led France to another silver medal. He averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks per game. In the final, he had 22 points, eight rebounds, and eight blocks, but France lost to the United States.
For the senior French national team, Wembanyama was initially selected for EuroBasket 2022 but couldn’t play due to an injury. He made his debut in November 2022, scoring 20 points and getting nine rebounds in a win over Lithuania.
Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Victor Wembanyama’s net worth at $10 million.
FAQs
Is Victor Wembanyama in a relationship?
For the time being, Wembanyama is a single man.
How much is Victor Wembanyama’s contract?
Victor Wembanyama signed a 4 year / $55,174,766 contract with the San Antonio Spurs, including $24,929,640 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $13,793,692
Who has the biggest NBA contract?
Jaylen Brown currently holds the belt for the largest contract in NBA history after agreeing to terms on a supermax extension with the Celtics.