The sound of shoes against parquet crackles in the basketball arena. The thin, nimble legs almost bounced around on the floor. It is impossible not to notice the lighthouse on the course. “Wemby, Wemby, Wemby”, resounds in the Olympic arena. He has just scored three points, helping France to play in the Olympic final. – He is a fantastic player. He does more than just score points, says teammate Andrew Albicy to news. DIFFERENCE: Andrew Albicy (178 centimeters) and Victor Wembanyama. Photo: ARIS MESSINIS / AFP – It’s unlike anything else you’ve seen before, says Ola Djupvik. He is responsible for basketball in Store norske lexikon and thinks Wembanyama, or “Wemby” as the French call him, is a “must watch”. – He means an enormous amount both on and off the pitch. He is a gigantic star, says VG’s basketball commentator Magnus Barstad. Cowardly team Wembanyama has to bend over so as not to hit his head in the door frame on the way out of the Olympic arena. He has just cheered together with 20,000 wild supporters. – He is the future of the sport, he is different. It is an honor to play on a team with him. When I get old I can brag that I played in the Olympic final with him, I am privileged, says France’s captain Nicolas Batum to news. The French basketball player Victor Wembanyama is tall – and everyone becomes a toddler compared to him. In the Olympic tournament, Wembanyama only meets lower players. Against Japan, he played against players around 170 centimetres, and the enormous differences became clear. TOP: Victor Wembanyama pictured next to Japan’s Yuki Kawamura. Photo: Brian Snyder / Reuters HIGH AND LOW: Japanese Yuki Togashi (167 centimeters) is about three quarters of Victor Wembanyama (224 centimeters). Photo: Brian Snyder / Reuters – They are almost two different sports. The other can almost run between his legs, says Barstad – and compares the picture with a scene from the cartoon series Tom & Jerry. – They are cowardly teams, yes. A “mismatch”, when a fast shorter player meets a tall player who is taller and slower, it goes both ways. The shorter player is often fast and plays to his own strengths, says Djupvik. But it is not just the length that makes the Frenchman a phenomenon. DEVASTATION: Wembanyama rages alone in the sky. No one else reaches as high. Photo: Brian Snyder / Reuters How tall is he actually? Tall players are nothing new in basketball. Enormous Yao Ming (China) excelled with his 229 centimeters in the early 2000s. LeBron James is 206 centimeters tall and has long been the biggest star in basketball. – Wembanyama is not an uncomplicated big man. He is a player with all the skills as well, says VG’s basketball commentator Magnus Barstad. Barstad has seen every second of the Olympics, where Wembanyama and France have reached the final. He believes the French star will get rid of the label as a “big man”, i.e. a tall player. This is Victor Wembanyama Photo: Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters Age: 20 Nationality: France Club: San Antonio Spurs NBA seasons: 1 Height: 224 centimeters (according to NBA.com) Weight: 95 kilograms Nicknames: “Wemby” and “The Ailien” Current: Playing the Olympics in Paris for France Source: NBA.com In 2023, he gave himself 221 as his height. On the basketball league NBA’s website, he is registered as 224 centimetres. In the Olympics, he is 222 centimeters tall. – Incredibly enough, he tries to lie about his height, he has said himself that he is 218 centimeters, but when you look at the picture of him together with other players, 226 centimeters is probably more correct, says Barstad. If he gets rid of the stamp as a “big man”, he will have a slightly different role on the pitch and can continue as he is doing today. IMPRESSED: Ola Djupvik, subject manager for basketball in Store norske lexikon. Photo: Cecilia Hviding – It’s a combination of incredible physique and incredibly large wingspan. He knows a bit of everything, says Ola Djupvik. That is why this season he was named the newcomer of the season when he was named the NBA’s “rookie of the year”. – That such a young player with a unique physique is so versatile is quite special. Wembanyama is so fast and mobile, says Djupvik. LARGE: Wembanyama laces up shoes in size 55. Photo: THOMAS COEX / AFP All French In the basketball hall, the camera lenses point towards the big star on the floor. Ever since he was young, he has known that he will become a basketball star, and prepared himself for a life in the biggest league in the world, the NBA. As a 14-year-old, when he was over two meters tall, he was on trial in Barcelona, but he chose to stay at home in safe surroundings. POPULAR: The French giant adorns posters all over Paris. Photo: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP The election has given him a great advantage, Barstad believes. – In the US there are more sharp elbows where you have to fight for the day. In France, he knew all along that he was going to be good, and worked with flexibility, mentally and physically for a life as a star. He seems smart and reflective, says Barstad and suddenly bursts in. – The guy can walk the ropes! So how do you stop the highest player at the tournament – who also has a number of skills? – Very difficult. You cannot block his shot. It doesn’t work. He reaches a place in the airspace that no one else does, says Barstad. – But there is one thing that works. He is thin. You have to find the middle part of his body and push him away, says Barstad. Published 08/08/2024, at 15.30 Updated 08.08.2024, at 20.34
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The giant Victor Wembanyama has 55 in shoes – Olympics Paris 2024
