Victor Wembanyama faced lofty expectations when the San Antonio Spurs selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The 7-foot-4 center from France was as good as advertised in the first season.
Wembanyama finished his rookie year averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks per game over 71 starts.
He was the fourth player—and first rookie—in NBA history to finish a season with at least 1,500 points, 250 assists, and 250 blocked shots.
For his efforts, Wembanyama, 20, became the first player from France to win NBA Rookie of the Year, receiving all 99 first-place votes. He was the first unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year since Karl-Anthony Towns in the 2015–16 season.
Wembanyama is also the first international winner of the award since Dallas forward and Slovenia national Luka Doncic in 2019.
The Spurs finished the year 22–60 and missed the playoffs. As a result, Wembanyama feels he fell short of expectations when he conducted a self-critique.
“Every day I push harder and try to do more to get more achievements, more records, and more wins,” Wembanyama said at a press conference. “I told myself I didn’t do enough to push myself even more. My first impression is not that I exceeded expectations. I should have done more. … I wish we were in the playoffs. I wish we didn’t lose 60 games.”
Despite his disappointment, Wembanyama became just the second rookie with Washington’s Manute Bol (1985–86) to lead all NBA players in blocks per game in a season.
Wembanyama is also the third player to earn Rookie of the Year honors for the Spurs, joining Hall-of-Famers David Robinson (1989–90) and Tim Duncan (1997–98).
Now, Wembanyama knows he will have to make adjustments going into his second year.
“There’s a lot of small things the opponents try to attack me on during the games,” Wembanyama said. “I have the tools to respond to it but I need practice. There is stuff that is hard to practice during the season. Physically, we are moving in the right direction … maybe more injury prevention and strength, which is more important than the weight.”
Wembanyama comes from an athletic family. His father, Félix Wembanyama, competed in track and field in his native Congo. His mother, Elodie de Fautereau is a former French national team basketball player and currently a youth coach. His grandfather also played professional basketball in France in the 1960s.
Wembanyama began his career in the professional French basketball league, playing for Nanterre 92 (2019–21) before joining ASVEL (2021–22), and Metropolitans 92 (2022–23). He averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game, leading the Pro A league in each category in his final season in France.
He caught the attention of NBA scouts when Metropolitans 92 played games against the G League Ignite in Las Vegas. Wembanyama averaged 36.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and 4.5 blocks in those two games.
That led to the hype heading into the 2023 NBA Draft and there was little intrigue about whom the Spurs would select with the first overall pick. When San Antonio picked Wembanyama, he was greeted by a crowd of fans at the airport, and murals of him were painted around the city.
Wembanyama did not represent France in the FIBA World Cup 2023, instead preparing for his inaugural NBA season. However, he will play for France in the 2024 Olympics on his home soil.
“It’s not an option. I'll be at the Olympics,” Wembanyama said. “I don’t intend to do anything else. For me, the club and the national team are as important as each other so I have no reason not to want to win titles with my national team.”
That experience in the Olympics should be a good warmup for the 2024–25 NBA season. The key for Wembanyama is to stay healthy. He missed time this past season with a left ankle sprain.
“I wish I could have played all 82 games, but it’s, you know, it’s my first season. I think. Looking back, it’s pretty satisfying,” Wembanyama said about avoiding major injuries.
The Spurs are excited about what Wembanyama can do in his second year.
