Photo: Thomas S · CC BY-SA 2.0
1 Basketball
VictorWembanyama
Drafted first overall in 2023, Victor Wembanyama has anchored the San Antonio Spurs frontcourt and led the NBA in blocks through 2025.
Where Wembanyama came from
Career path
Who is Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama stepped onto the NBA landscape on draft night in 2023, when the San Antonio Spurs made him the first overall pick out of France's Metropolitans. Before that selection, his development crisscrossed French basketball: a debut at Nanterre, a stop at Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball, and a title-winning run with ASVEL. At twenty-two, he now anchors the Spurs frontcourt as a center and power forward, wearing jersey number one. His rim protection has already set a standard, with three consecutive NBA blocks titles through 2025. This campaign sees him established as a two-time All-Star and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year; he added Western Conference finals MVP honours in 2026, having earlier won Rookie of the Year, proof of his impact beyond the regular season.
Wembanyama: quick answers
San Antonio chose him first overall in 2023, after he had played his club basketball in France with Metropolitans 92.
MVP honours have come his way on both sides of the Atlantic, including the LNB Élite All-Star Game prize in 2022 and Western Conference finals MVP in 2026.
Retirement is not on the cards; he has played professionally since 2019 and is active in the NBA today.
His club basketball comes with the Spurs in Texas, where he lines up as a centre and power forward.
The number on his San Antonio jersey is 1, worn in every game he plays.