Wembanyama arrives in the NBA
He is 2.21 meters tall, but unlike any other giant, his style will be, in itself, the confirmation of a revolution. A new biotype with infinite arms and legs that promises to cause chaos. Welcome, then, to basketball 3.0.
“Everyone has been a unicorn in recent years, but he’s more like an alien. No one has seen anyone as tall, as fluid and graceful as he is on the parquet. LeBron James would be the No. 2 pick in the draft if he were exactly the same age and class as Victor Wembanyama.”
Who said these words some time ago was none other than Richard Jefferson, LeBron’s former teammate with the Cavaliers. The expectation that Wembanyama has generated is gigantic and, of course, he has been working for some time on the emotional management of a situation as atypical as it is extraordinary.
It is not the first biotype like this that has been seen in the NBA. An example of this versatility combined with height is Chet Holmgren, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s pick 2 in 2022, who was unable to make his debut due to injury before the start of the season. In fact, the two faced each other at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in 2021.
But Wembanyama is another story. Holmgren is good, yes, but the versatile French forward seems surreal. He is, what they say, an impossible player: too big to be defended by a small one, too quick and dangerous with his shot to be defended by a big one.
Wemby’s games at Metropolitans 92 are always attended by scouts, celebrities and potential sponsors. So great is the expectation that the NBA itself acquired the television rights to his team in France last year so that they can be seen on NBA League Pass.
He has a physical trainer hired specifically to take care of him. His name is Guillaume Alquier and one of his main purposes is that the 18-year-old forward gets enough sleep. At least 10 hours. Every morning he expects a report from the player by SMS about his sleeping hours. He doesn’t rely on technology and keeps that manual tracking.
Wemby is always one of the first players to arrive at the stadium. His routine is not as specific as Stephen Curry’s, but it includes situations worth watching: juggling tennis balls, warming up with reaction drills and extreme muscle coordination.
In addition to sleep, Alquier focuses on Wemby’s feet. Protecting them is vital for NBA big men, and there are perhaps few on the planet with such giant, arched, narrow size 21 feet. Yao Ming, for example: his feet cost him his career.
