Basketball Victor Wembanyama
The 2.27 meter teenager creates crowds like in the NBA Finals
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“It will be great to watch him” – Big crowd for Wembanyama’s debut
Even before basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama’s NBA debut, there was a huge rush. Thousands of fans flocked to the arena in San Antonio. The game against the Dallas Mavericks was lost, but this should not reduce the expectations of the Frenchman.
Perhaps never before have so many people around the world watched the NBA debut of a basketball player. 19-year-old Victor Wembanyama struggled against the Dallas Mavericks for a long time before he finally got excited.
Victor Wembanyama’s debut in the National Basketball Association (NBA), which was associated with great expectations, has been lost. Despite a strong final quarter from the 19-year-old Frenchman, the San Antonio Spurs lost 119:126 to the Dallas Mavericks with their stars Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Maxi Kleber from Würzburg.
The 2.27 meter tall Wembanyama was not a big factor in the duel between the Texas teams for a long time and only scored six points after three quarters. In the final quarter he caused great celebration in San Antonio with nine more points. However, his final 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 stolen balls and one block were not enough to beat the Mavericks led by Doncic and Irving.
Doncic still raved about Wembanyama afterwards: “He’ll be fantastic, he already is,” said the Dallas All-Star. Of course, Wembanyama’s size stands out, but also “the way he moves, he moves incredibly. He moves almost like a point guard. It’s pretty amazing to see.” The highly praised Wembanyama remained humble: “I just focused on doing my best when I returned to the pitch,” he said – perhaps also reflecting his strong values opponent.
Victor Wembanyama defends the basket against Derrick Jones Jr.
Quelle: Getty Images via AFP/CHRISTIAN PETERSEN
Doncic recorded 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists and began the season with a so-called triple double of double figures in the most important statistical categories. Irving contributed 22 points. Kleber didn’t have his best night and started the second half on the bench. He ended up with six points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Crowds like the NBA Finals
But the greatest attention has been focused on Wembanyama for weeks. With his exceptional combination of size and technical ability, the teenager is considered the most promising talent since LeBron James entered the NBA 21 years ago. The Spurs, coached by legendary coach Gregg Popovich, have already won the title five times and had numerous stars in their ranks, but never before has there been so much attention for a player. More than 200 accreditation requests were received from journalists in eight countries – that’s the level of the NBA Finals.
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“How could I deny that?” Popovich said before Wednesday’s game. “It’s pretty obvious. Victor has been the center of attention for a long time and that’s not going to change. Luckily for us he is a really mature young man who knows what he wants. He’s already a professional.”
