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OLYMPIC BASKETBALL

How tall is Victor Wembanyama? Wingspan, height, weight...

As France face Team USA in the men’s basketball final at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, we look at the French sensation, Victor Wembanyama, and just how tall he really is.

France's #32 Victor Wembanyama celebrates after France won the men's semifinal basketball match between France and Germany during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy  Arena in Paris on August 8, 2024. (Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP)
ARIS MESSINIS | AFP
Paul Rudder
A former soccer player who now lives and works in Barcelona, Paul has been living in Spain since 2011. Ten years later in 2021 is when he joined the Diario AS family and he's been churning out articles about sports ever since. When not working, Paul enjoys hanging with his friends or playing soccer with his team. Aside from those two, he's also a person who loves learning about history, culture, human behavior and the way in which it's affected by the other two. He continues to look for opportunities to grow both mentally and professionally.
Update:

Hosts France face Team USA in the final of the men’s basketball this afternoon, with tip off at 3 p.m. ET. And one French player everybody will be watching is 20-year-old French prodigy Victor Wembanyama. What are his attributes, his stats, and his game? Let’s find out.

Basketball hasn’t seen a player like Victor Wembanyama before

Between his attributes and physical size, it’s now more than clear that NBA star Victor Wembanyama is truly something special. In his first season in the NBA, since being drafted number 1 by the San Antonio Spurs in 2023, Wembanyama averaged an impressive 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 blocks with an average of 29.7 minutes per game. Those are some serious numbers for a rookie, but again, this is no ordinary player.

The 20-year-old Wembanyama, who recently measured 7-foot-4 barefoot with an 8-foot wingspan, was turning the heads of NBA executives long before he brought his skillset to the league and if one thing is clear, it’s that he’s more than worth the hype. With his exceptional combination of fluidity, perimeter skills, shot-blocking instincts, feel for the game, and seemingly mature IQ, it was a mere formality that he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Consider for a moment that he was named French LNB Pro A Best Young Player two years in a row before making his EuroLeague debut in 2022. Furthermore, Givony disclosed that the 18-year-old Wembanyama stands at 7-foot-4 barefoot and possesses an 8-foot wingspan. Yes, that’s incredible. With that in mind, here are a few factors to consider:

Wembanyama the NBA’s tallest player

Prior to the departure of Tacko Fall for China’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers, there were only three players in the NBA listed 7-foot-3 flat. The other two are of course Boban Marjanovic and Kristaps Porzingis. What that means is that Wembanyama is currently officially the tallest player in the NBA. That doesn’t hurt at all.

Wembanyama also has the longest wingspan

With an 8-foot measurement, you’d think we were talking about a large bird, but no, it’s just a 19-year-old French basketball prodigy. Assuming that stat is accurate, Wembanyama will edge past Marjonovic and Mo Bamba - who are both listed as having a 7-foot-10 wingspan.

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While some might mention the name of Dekembe Mutombo or Yao Ming, who came through the NBA Draft in 2002, we haven’t had an NBA prospect with this much anticipation surrounding him for quite some time. Indeed, he will be the tallest since the aforementioned Chinese sensation.

Though enormous, Wembanyama can shoot

When looking at the handful of players across league history who’ve measured above 7 feet tall, few have averaged more than one 3-point attempt a game. Where the Frenchman is concerned, he’s been above average. Indeed, when compared to Porzingis, who’ll play for the Celtics from this season, and the other 25 players in the league’s history who were 7-foot-3 or taller, their combined effort was 4.0 per 36 minutes, which, incredibly, is still less than what Wembanyama is posting with 5.7 per game in the same time frame.

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