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58 minutes ago
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Now more than ever, international players are dominating the NBA.
While there has been a steady increase in non-U.S. born basketball superstars over the last few decades, including the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Tony Parker, the future of the NBA is now largely built around international players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic have all blossomed into Hall of Fame talents after reaching the NBA from a non-U.S. country.
No international player in the league seems to have the limitless potential of Victor Wembanyama, however. The 7-4 San Antonio Spurs center has virtually broken how defense is played while using his absurd length to make dunks look easy and splashing 3-pointers from all over.
Here's everything to know about Wembanyama's French upbringing and basketball career prior to joining the NBA.
MORE: Meet Victor Wembanyama's full family, including younger brother Oscar
Where is Victor Wembanyama from?
In January 2004, Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, France, which is in the western suburbs of Paris. He grew up with parents that were both athletes, and he has an older sister and younger brother.
Growing up, Wembanyama also played soccer and practiced judo before he began to focus on basketball. In soccer, he was often a goalkeeper, per Olympics.com, but with his mother being an ex-basketball player and later a coach, she guided him toward the sport.
By seven years old, Wembanyama began playing for Entente Le Chesnay Versailles (France) before joining the youth system of Nanterre 92, a team based out of Nanterre, France, at 10 years old, when he was already around 5-foot-11.
In 2018, the future Spurs star was briefly loaned to FC Barcelona (Spain) for an under-14 tournament, where he led his squad to third place.
Wembanyama began playing professionally in 2019, and from that point on until 2023, he blossomed into stardom in France and quickly gained the attention of NBA scouts, culminating in him becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
MORE: Explaining Victor Wembanyama's 'ethical basketball' shot at Thunder
Did Victor Wembanyama go to college?
No, Wembanyama did not go to college. He was born and raised in France, playing in European leagues until he was selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Wembanyama was draft-eligible in 2023 as an international player because he was 19 years old in the calendar year of that draft, had maintained permanent residence outside the U.S. for at least three years prior to the draft while playing basketball, did not go to high school or college in the U.S. and had officially declared in 2023.
MORE: Why Victor Wembanyama was named SN's 2025-26 Player of the Year
What team did Victor Wembanyama play for?
Wembanyama played for a few European squads from the time he became a professional in 2019 to the time the Spurs selected him with the No. 1 pick.
He played for several teams from the LNB Pro A, France's premier basketball league; the first was Nanterre 92, where he stayed for two years. In 2019, he became the second-youngest player ever, at 15 years, nine months and 25 days old, to play in the EuroCup. In 2020-21, he split time between Nanterre's senior and under-21 teams — and it was around that time that he began going viral, including clips of him playing two-on-two with Rudy Gobert and Vincent Poirier.
In 2021, Wembanyama signed with ASVEL of the Pro A and the EuroLeague, based out of Lyon, France. By October, he made his debut, but various injuries sidelined him throughout the season. Still, Wembanyama claimed Pro A's "Best Young Player," averaging 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
In 2022, Wembanyama joined Metropolitans 92 (Levallois-Perret, France) on a two-year contract, seeking to play under head coach Vincent Collet. It was with the team that in October, Wembanyama had a chance to face off against some other premiere young talent in his potential 2023 draft class, including Scoot Henderson, in exhibition games vs. the NBA G League Ignite. Those games marked Wembanyama's first in the United States.
In the first matchup, he recorded 37 points, five blocks and four rebounds in a 122–115 loss, and in the second, he had 36 points and 11 rebounds.
Wembanyama would enjoy a dominant 2022-23 season as he began to cement himself as the best player in the following NBA Draft class, named captain of the France team at the LNB All-Star Game, becoming the league All-Star Game's youngest MVP ever, then becoming the youngest MVP winner in LNB history, also named Best Defender, Best Scorer, Best Young Player and Best Blocker.
Wembanyama led Metropolitans 92 to the Finals, where they lost in a sweep. By that point, he had already declared for the 2023 NBA Draft.
MORE: Inside Victor Wembanyama's connection with Rudy Gobert
Victor Wembanyama parents
Wembanyama's father is Felix Wembanyama,and his mother is Elodie de Fautereau.
Felix was born in Belgium and is of Congolese origin, and he later acquired French nationality in 2003. Unlike the rest of his family, the elder Wembanyama's primary sport was not basketball, but track and field. However, he reportedly did not ever compete at the Olympics.
SLAM previously reported that Felix Wembanyama competed in the triple jump, while the Toronto Star reported he competed in the long jump. FIBA.com also reported that he competed in the high jump.
Even though he didn't play the sport himself, Felix Wembanyama reportedly taught Victor proper running and jumping techniques from his own experience.
"Dad gave me the passion for knowing subjects in depth," Victor Wembanyama told SLAM in 2022. "Being a real technician of sports, of whatever I do."
However, Wembanyama's mother certainly played a role in Victor's basketball upbringing. Elodie de Fautereau, who has been listed at 6-3, played professionally before transitioning to a role as a youth basketball coach. Basketball ran deep in the family before Wembanyama took it up himself.
"I mean, I had the choice and I still have the choice to play or not play basketball, but basketball has always been around," Wembanyama told SLAM in 2022. “I can’t avoid it in my family."
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