Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs in 2023. Photo by Eric Gay via AP Photo
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris placed the NBA and its players on the world stage once again, as its basketball tournament stole the show. Various countries assembled rosters featuring NBA talents, with the United States, Canada, France, and Serbia among them.
In the end, Team USA defeated Team France in the Gold Medal game, notching their fifth straight win in that department. Despite the Americans making it look easy from a broad lens, it was all but, as France gave them a run for their money.
In particular, the young phenom Victor Wembanyama stole the show, posing as a severe threat to the Americans’ chances. Wemby took the world by storm last year when he was drafted first overall by the San Antonio Spurs. And although his team was not great, he displayed much promise.
His Olympic success, despite not winning the Gold with France, has already propelled himself into superstar status. And already having been embraced by the game’s current biggest stars, it has become clear that Victor Wembanyama has cemented himself as the next face of the NBA.
Young Wemby
Skill level and age are the primary factors that allow a superstar to blossom. Wembanyama already has a full NBA season and Olympics under his resume at just 20 years old, so he certainly has age on his side.
The Spurs were a relatively abysmal team last season, finishing 14th in the Western Conference at 22-60. But Wemby was the one bright spot in a sea of otherwise dark spots. He stole the show each time he was on the court simply due to his natural talent.
His one weakness heading into the NBA was his shooting, particularly his three-point shooting. That was an area which was said to have needed work. But he proved that he could not only survive in the NBA, but thrive, as he put up excellent numbers for his first season.
The scary part about his game, not for himself but for his opponents, is his potential. Wemby averaged those figures in his first year in the NBA. And at just 20 years old, he has immense potential to grow his game and become even better. That, certainly, is a recipe for success and superstardom.
Olympic Stage
Wembanyama took his NBA talents to the international courts, when he represented Team France in the 2024 Summer Olympics. With him leading the team on the court, France became one of the most feared teams in the entire tournament.
He was a force in the Gold Medal game, exploding for 26 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. That all came against his idols and the current faces of the game in LeBron, Curry, and Durant. While Team USA ultimately won the Gold Medal, a Silver Medal for a 20-year-old kid is nothing to scoff at.
Despite coming short of the Gold, Wemby’s ability to perform not only on the NBA court but on the international court has already proven that he is superstar worthy. His skills will only improve as he ages. And in four years, when he will most likely be in his prime, he will be favored to win Gold.
Wembanyama is not the only superstar-to-be of his generation. He is surrounded by other young and elite talents, to the likes of Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Paolo Banchero, and more. But Wemby, with his young age and fun, simple, and innocent lifestyle, is easily the most marketable of those stars, and the one with the most upside.
The NBA and the sport of basketball itself relies on its marketing of superstars to thrive. When its best talents perform on the big stage that is the Olympics, lighting up the court simply by being themselves, it serves as the ultimate marketability. Victor Wembanyama, with his talents, young age, and sheer potential, has all the tools in place to cement himself as the next face of the NBA.
