Approaching the basket, the Frenchman is unplayable.
Getty Images via AFP
Even before his draft, a year and a half ago, the most assiduous followers of the orange sphere and the stars of the North American courts were, for many, very clear. Victor Wembanyama oscillated in their mouths between “an alien” and “the one who would revolutionize the game”. Obviously, a few consultants who needed to be noticed questioned his talent, but it is clear that the majority were right.
After a little more than a season in the best League in the world, the Frenchman has already made his mark among the stars and is starting to find his game. Statistically, he will end up being the best blocker in history. He is also often unplayable in the paint. Better yet, despite his size (2m22 in Europe, 2m26 in the United States, where we measure players with their shoes), he is a formidable long-range shooter, where he gains more and more confidence and where he takes more plus fire, too.
Wednesday, during the NBA's famous “Christmas day”, which brings together the best teams throughout the day from noon to after midnight, he was at Madison Square Garden, the most legendary venue in world sport. and a place that often reveals characters. The New York spectators were not disappointed. Worse, or better (delete as appropriate), they were impressed by the new demonstration of the one who will be 21 years old (only!) on January 4.
His team certainly lost (117-114), but the Yvelinois made Madison Square Garden roar, sigh, rage and even applaud. Did he miss his first three-point shots? He never seemed to doubt and ended up attacking them, sometimes almost from the center of the field logo. “Wemby” finished his evening with 42 points on the clock and grabbed 18 rebounds, with disconcerting ease. He sometimes got his feet caught in the “MSG” floor with his long segments, but as soon as he approaches the circle, there is nothing to do against him.
It is in the counterattack, the specialty that he is developing more and more, that Wembanyama is the most impressive. Defensively, he is so strong that opposing attackers think twice before trying their luck. Often, on Wednesday, the New Yorkers preferred to change offensive options each time the Blue was around, as his sprawling arms traumatized the first Knicks to try to attack the basket. A weapon of mass deterrence.
In the aisles of the New York enclosure, Knicks fans oscillated between admiration and resignation, during certain phases of the game. My neighbor in the stands, between two reactions to Wembanyama's actions and inevitably intrigued by my English with a strong French accent , had a slew of questions. “Is he the greatest man in France?” Good question, well. And it turns out that yes, tied with a certain Vincent Pourchot, also a Basketball player. “But how many French people are there in this League?!” Fourteen! But then I explained to him that I was Swiss and I immediately made him less interested…
Wembanyama and his Spurs colleagues ended up losing in the money-time. The Texan No. 1 was denied another 3-point shot with about 5 minutes to go due to a foul on one of his teammates and he almost disappeared when the match was played. It left an incredible impression all the same. The boy is not 21 years old, he is capable of spending more than 40 years at one of the best franchises in the League and we still feel a lot of room for improvement. Creepy.
We also thought, sometimes, we saw an adult playing among children, on a basket placed less than two meters away. Even facing a beast like New Yorker Karl-Anthony Towns (29 years old, 2m12 and 115 kg), sometimes reduced to the role of foil. Honestly, you have to see it once in your life to believe it.
