LAS VEGAS — There isn’t much that can throw Victor Wembanyama off of his game.
The 7-foot-4 phenom is used to drawing a crowd every time he steps onto the court, and that treatment continues after the final buzzer sounds. It’s why he looked unfazed when he walked into the interview room inside T-Mobile Arena on Friday afternoon.
Each seat was filled. Even the walls were lined with reporters like insulation as they eagerly absorbed Wembanyama’s every word. It marked his first availability since he was sidelined with a calf strain on Nov. 14, and nearly every question was about his return for San Antonio’s NBA Cup semifinals game against OKC on Saturday.
Wembanyama expected as much, so he breezed through them like a pro. But one question caught him off guard. It was about OKC’s Ajay Mitchell, who many people don’t know played alongside Wembanyama in 2019 on the under-18 team of France’s Nanterre 92.
A surprised Wembanyama raised both eyebrows and chuckled. His head recoiled as he was hit by a wave of memories. And in that moment, the 21-year-old superstar who everyone is rushing to see grow up had a boyish joy.
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“It’s incredible to see him here,” Wembanyama answered. “It brings back great memories, of course. It’s a guy I’ve always had a great connection with on and off the court.”
Wembanyama’s height has always separated him from the pack. Even in a league filled with physical specimens, he’s the rarest breed of them all. The man who dwarfs giants.
And yet that’s not what separated Wembanyama in the eyes of Mitchell, a Belgium native who moved to bordering France at age 17 to join Nanterre 92. It was a chance to develop his skills before moving to the United States to begin his college career.
Sure, Wembanyama was already 7-2 despite only being 15 at the time. But it was the way the basketball prodigy handled himself that stood out. He stayed grounded despite practically having his head in the clouds. And he welcomed growing pains by practicing with pros such as fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner.
“Just the animal that he already was,” Mitchell told The Oklahoman when asked about his first impression of Wembanyama. “His mindset is kind of what separated him already at a young age. … His compete level and the way he always wanted to get better at a young age, I think that stood out.”
It wasn’t long before Mitchell developed a connection with Wembanyama on the court.
He vividly remembers throwing a lob off the backboard to the future superstar at one point. Stuff you shouldn’t be able to pull off in NBA 2K, let alone in real life at such a young age.
Unfortunately, Mitchell’s time with Nanterre was short-lived. He only played in 13 games before he returned home to finish high school and join Limburg United. He then spent all three years of his college career at UC Santa Barbara, where he made an All-Big West team each season and was named the conference’s Player of the Year in 2023.
Meanwhile, San Antonio selected Wembanyama with the first overall pick in that year’s NBA draft. And even though he admits he lost track of his former teammate as their paths diverged, Wembanyama was excited to see them merge again in the league. OKC selected Mitchell in the second round (38th overall) the following year.
“He’s a guy who I kind of lost sight of after he left Nanterre,” Wembanyama said. “I saw him being a prospect in college basketball, but I really hadn’t heard much of him in-between those two (points). But seeing him here, I’m just really proud.”
Mitchell also snuck up on Wembanyama once the ball tipped off Saturday.
Wembanyama used his 8-foot wingspan to intercept a pass by Jalen Williams early in the second quarter. But before he could reach the other end of the court, Mitchell poked the ball away from behind to get a steal of his own.
Mitchell finished with nine points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 24 minutes off the bench. A well-rounded stat line for the sophomore guard, who’s enjoying a breakout season. Still, it was Wembanyama who ultimately stole the show in his return.
Wembanyama racked up 22 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in only 21 minutes. And he willed San Antonio to a 111-109 win by scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter alone.
It wasn’t the result Mitchell hoped for, as his Thunder (24-2) watched its franchise-record winning streak of 16 games come to an end with the narrow loss. But he has enjoyed watching Wembanyama become one of the best players in the world, and he’s always glad to share the floor with him.
“Just seeing him grow has been pretty cool,” Mitchell said. “It’s crazy that we’re here today and we get to play against each other. And he’s a great dude, so it’s cool to play against him.”
Mitchell and Wembanyama haven’t stayed in contact that much since they both reached the NBA, but they still support each other.
The last time they talked was in late February, when Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. The condition is a form of blood clot, and it forced Wembanyama to miss the final 30 games of this past season. Mitchell reached out via text to check in.
Wembanyama has since come back even stronger. He’s averaging career highs of 25.8 points and 12.6 rebounds, and he’s playing at an All-NBA level for a San Antonio team (18-7) that’s fourth in the Western Conference standings.
Mitchell has also bounced back after missing 46 games last season due to a turf toe sprain that required surgery. He’s averaging career highs of 14 points and 3.7 assists, and he’s a Sixth Man of the Year candidate for an OKC team that’s looking to win a second straight championship.
The future is bright for the former teammates, who are both on their game.
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.