Yet Wembanyama and his teammates did not participate in Friday’s opening ceremony, a notable absence that made their 78-66 victory over Brazil on Saturday a revelation for the 6-foot-4 sensation. Faced with the pressures of being the host nation and honoring its silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, France traded the pomp and festivities of the Seine River procession for what center Rudy Gobert called the “safety and tranquility” of Lille, the charming city of 230,000 that is hosting the group stage of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
The jaunt gave the French a chance to lick their wounds after a 2-4 win-4 loss streak in a series of friendly matches that included defeats to Germany, Serbia, Canada and Australia. It also gave coach Vincent Collet an opportunity to counsel Wembanyama on managing the inflated expectations that come with his first Olympics. The French basketball program has produced a four-time NBA champion in Tony Parker and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year in Gobert, but Wembanyama is the country’s premier basketball phenom — an on-court complement to soccer megastar Kylian Mbappé.
“People who know basketball know that he is only 20 years old,” Collet said. “People who like sports but don’t know basketball think that Victor is already Michael Jordan. (…) A few days before the game, I felt that he was a little stressed. We talked together. All the team members tried to help him. He is so mature. Day by day, he has improved.”
Lille is reveling in its devotion to Wembanyama, the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft and heir to a French team seeking its first Olympic gold medal. Last week, fans in the city center donned several versions of his jerseys, including the No. 32 for France and the No. 1 for the Spurs. Bshop, the city’s premier basketball apparel store, built a large display in his honor alongside murals of Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Inside the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, which hosted 27,000 spectators on Saturday, a group of supporters beat drums, chanted encouragement and roared as Wembanyama took control of the game in the second quarter. Many fans held signs addressed to “Wemby,” including one young woman who scrawled a marriage proposal on the French tricolour flag.
Beyond the adulation, Wembanyama finds himself in a delicate situation. While he is one of the most prominent players in the men’s basketball tournament, he is also the newcomer to a veteran-dominated team that includes program mainstays Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier. The big question heading into the Games: Would Wembanyama fit in with this seasoned team, or would the group transform around him?
“I take everything I’m given and I communicate a lot with my teammates,” Wembanyama said. “It’s about sacrifices. Inside, we have two of the best players in the Euroleague and two favorites for the (NBA) Defensive Player of the Year award. We’re all ready to give up our place to the next player. The guys here who have been playing together for a long time know each other. I like the way they tried to integrate me into the system.”
It was Wembanyama who restored the pecking order, snapping France out of its first-quarter jitters with impressive baskets in the paint. He spun, stretched and dunked, making full use of his game-changing wingspan against a Brazilian attack that did its best to keep him out of the paint. Wembanyama displayed excellent technique to establish position to receive entry passes, and he made decisive, powerful moves to set up two-handed dunks.
On defense, Wembanyama and Gobert made their presence felt, blocking shots on the same possession and scaring Brazilian guards in the paint. Even so, Collet got away from the 32-year-old Gobert more than he has in previous international tournaments. By breaking up his two-turn combination, the French coach created more offensive space and better scoring opportunities for Wembanyama.
By halftime of his Olympic debut, the prodigy had taken control of his national team. Wembanyama finished with a brilliant 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks, and he sealed a comeback victory with a lobbed dunk in the final minute.
“He’s already our leader, that’s obvious,” Collet said. “For Victor, the main thing was to play inside, where he’s sure to dominate every time. If he plays too much on the perimeter, it’s like any other player: some nights you make shots, others you don’t.”
Even though France had to overcome some defensive difficulties, this victory is crucial for its medal hopes. With a victory against Japan on Tuesday, France can all but guarantee itself a trip to Paris for the quarter-finals.
France’s formula for a medal will come through through better production from its backs and more consistent intensity in defence. Even if those plans don’t come to fruition, Wembanyama should have the opportunity to fully test the limits of his game thanks to the veterans of the French team, who understand that the future of the programme has arrived sooner than expected.
“(Wembanyama) knows who he is,” Batum said. “He knows what he has to do to be great. Take us home. That’s who you are right now. He’s not afraid of the moment.”