On a furious dunk, Victor Wembanyama put an end to the suspense. At only 19 years old, the French basketball prodigy once again allowed his Mets 92 team to win against his opponent of the day, ASVEL (84-83). “It’s a phenomenon, it’s in my heart,” exclaims Stevie, present this Monday evening. French people, but also fans from all over the world make the trip to the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan in Levallois-Perret to see the future world basketball star play.
“He can shoot at three points, he can pass, block, he can do everything,” marvels Daniel, American supporter of the French player. “In the United States, everyone is waiting for him, (…) he is the best player since Lebron James,” said the native of Philadelphia. In a few months, the 2.21m basketball player could well become the first Frenchman to be named first choice of the NBA Draft, the draw where young players are selected to join the prestigious North American league.
“Wemby”, as the Americans have already affectionately dubbed it, has it all. His jerseys are snapped up as much as the tickets to attend his matches. “He makes us dream, and makes children dream,” insists Serhat, who leads the group of Metropolitans 92 supporters. “We will miss him when he is in the NBA (…) but he will have made us vibrate”.