The San Antonio Spurs star should start this gala match scheduled for February 15 in Los Angeles. An unprecedented reward for a Frenchman.
“Wemby” makes history. Victor Wembanyama was selected Monday to play his second All-Star Game, scheduled for February 15 in Los Angeles, thanks to the plebiscite of fans, players and media.
After being chosen as a “replacement” last season, the Frenchman, who celebrated his 22nd birthday at the beginning of the month, took a new step by taking his place among the ten “starters” of the traditional gala evening of the North American league. This is a first for a French player. Fans (50%), players (25%) and a panel of media (25%) voted for five players from the Western Conference and five from the East, regardless of their position, who will be joined as tradition by 14 players chosen by the coaches.
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In the West, “Wemby” (San Antonio Spurs) has made a place for itself among the stars of the league, with the reigning Canadian MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), the triple MVP (2021, 2022 and 2024) Serbian Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), the Slovenian magician Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers) and Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors).
Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) and Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) were popular in the East.
A new format tested this year
The notion of “holder” and “replacement” will only be honorary, the NBA having put in place a new competition format to once again try to energize a traditionally soporific evening, which will take place on February 15 in the Intuit Dome, the Clippers’ ultra-modern arena.
Following the internationalization movement of its championship, the prestigious basketball league decided to pit “the United States against the world”, with a mini-tournament with three teams of eight, two with local players and one composed of foreigners.
A group stage will be followed by a final between the two best teams, each match lasting 12 minutes. “Wemby” is thus already assured of being part of a “Dream Team” with Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, Doncic and Antetokounmpo. If there are not enough internationals or Americans at the end of the selection process, commissioner Adam Silver will invite additional players.
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Progression continue
Wembanyama will not have to wait that long, he who has made a place among the “regular” stars, a first for a French player, Tony Parker, Joakim Noah and Rudy Gobert having been selected before him as replacements. The No. 1 of the 2023 draft, elected rookie of the year in 2024, therefore continues his progress despite missing 14 matches since the start of the season, due to a calf injury then a knee injury.
“Wemby”, who ended his 2024-2025 season after the All-Star Game in San Francisco due to venous thrombosis, has still made an impression since the resumption in October, and contributed to the formidable start to the year for the Spurs, second in the West (29v-13d) and on the road to the first play-offs since 2019.
If his statistics are similar to the previous year (24.5 pts on average against 24.3, 10.9 rebounds against 11, 3 passes against 3.7), the giant (2.24 m) must deal with limited playing time (28.8 min against 33.2) and displays increased efficiency and ease.
Every evening, he treats fans to unique movements, combining size, agility, flexibility and increasingly assertive physical power. His wingspan and sense of timing make him one of the most feared defenders in the league, who changes the course of opposing attacks with his mere presence in the racket. The Spurs host the Utah Jazz on Monday at 11:00 p.m. Paris time.
