Victor Wembanyama leads France over Brazil in Paris Olympics opener
VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France – France phenom Victor Wembanyama put on a show for the home crowd in his Olympics debut.
The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama soared for dunks, blocked shots and made steals with his eight-foot wingspan, energizing the home fans and leading France to a 78-66 victory over Brazil on Saturday in Group B of men’s 5×5 basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Wembanyama, who plays for San Antonio Spurs, had 19 points, including 14 in the first half, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks. He was 7-for-13 from the field and left points on the court, going 4-for-7 on free throws.
On a France team with experience and Olympic medalists, the 20-year-old Wembanyama was the best player on the court – a force offensively and defensively
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“I like the way they’ve tried to install me in the system,” Wembanyama said.
He demurred talking about his performance.
“It’s about sacrifices, I’d say. We’re all here for a purpose,” he told reporters in English after answering questions in French.
His coach and teammates had no problem talking about his game.
France coach Vincent Collet noticed mid-week that Wembanyama had butterflies about the Olympics.
“I think for the first time of his career he was a little bit stressed,” Collet said. “This week, I would say three days before the game, I felt he was a little bit stressed. So, we talk together and everybody, with teammates, rest of the staff, we try to help him and I think he’s so mature day by day he got better with that and he just wanted (the Olympics) to start.”
French fans filled Pierre Mauroy Stadium – a soccer stadium 140 miles north of Paris that has been converted into a massive basketball and handball arena with a capacity for 27,000 fans at the Summer Games – and they were not disappointed.
Especially with the NBA’s 2023-24 Rookie of the Year.
He scored 11 points in the second quarter as France eliminated a 23-15 deficit and took a 39-36 lead into halftime. During a 40-second stretch late in the second quarter, he had two massive dunks, including one that had the Internet abuzz with its otherworldly Space Jam qualities.
“For Victor, the main thing was to go inside where he is sure to dominate every time,” Collet said.
On the first of two big dunks late in the first half, he received a pass in the low post from Nic Batum. Batum cut baseline, giving Wembanyama room to operate with the basketball. Wembanyama spun to his right almost to the opposite low-post position in which he caught the ball, and out of nowhere dunked with his left hand.
“That dunk he had, I’m pretty sure his head was above the rim. I couldn’t believe it,” Evan Fournier said.
Said Batum: “I was like, ‘Wow.’ I don’t know why he dunked that one.”
Wembanyama scored just five points in the second half, but had an assist, two steals and two blocks in the third quarter as France took control of the game.
“The thing with Wemby, he can do so many things, so sometimes it’s almost like a burden because he doesn’t focus on one thing,” Fournier said.
It’s a burden that France − with its medal expectations − will accept.
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