San Antonio Spurs History: Victor Wembanyama Made Olympic Debut One Year Ago originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In his rookie season, Victor Wembanyama announced to the NBA that the future of the league belonged to him. In his first year with the San Antonio Spurs, he became the first rookie to be named to the All-Defensive Team, coming in second to Rudy Gobert for Defensive Player of the Year.
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The following summer, he put France on his back, leading them to the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It took a heroic effort from Stephen Curry to hold off Wembanyama and the French.
Wemby will look to get revenge in Los Angeles during the 2028 Games.
On July 27, 2024, one day after the opening ceremonies, Wembanyama would make his Olympic debut against Brazil. France would win, 78-66, with Wembanyama posting 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.
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The Brazilians had no answer, with Leo Meindl and Cristiano Felicio mustering 14 points apiece.
In his six games, Wembanyama would ultimately average 15.8 points, 1.7 blocks, and 9.7 rebounds, making the All-Olympic Team alongside LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Dennis Schroder, and Curry.
France, headlined by Wemby, is expected to rival the US in 2028. While Team USA will be stacked, as always, the French boast an impressive young core and could be the first non-American team to win gold since the 2004 Argentinian team, led by fellow former Spur Manu Ginobili.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.