Victor Wembanyama

Victor Nonga Wembanyama-de Fautereau-Vassel ( WEM-bən-YAH-mə; French: [viktɔʁ wɛmbanjama]; born 4 January 2004), nicknamed "Wemby" and "the Alien", is a French professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected first overall by the Spurs in the 2023 NBA draft and is considered one of the best basketball prospects ever due to his rare combination of height, agility, and skills. Wembanyama began his professional career at age 15 with Nanterre 92 of the LNB Pro A in 2019. Two years later, he moved to ASVEL and won the Pro A title in his only season with the team. In the 2022–23 season, Wembanyama signed with Metropolitans 92 and became the youngest player to win the Pro A MVP award, while earning Pro A Best Defender honours and leading the league in scoring, rebounds and blocks. He was unanimously named an LNB All-Star twice, winning the All-Star Game MVP once, and was a three-time Pro A Best Young Player. Wembanyama also plays for the French national team, with whom he won a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. At the youth level, he led his team to two silver medals, including at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, where he set the FIBA record for blocks per game in a single tournament. Following a historic rookie season in the NBA in which he led the league in blocks per game, Wembanyama was unanimously named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year, finished second in the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year voting to compatriot Rudy Gobert, and became the first rookie ever and youngest player ever to be named to the All-Defensive First Team. During the 2025–26 NBA season, Wembanyama won his first Defensive Player of the Year award, becoming the youngest and first unanimous winner of the award.