Wembanyama Has Cemented Himself as Face of NBA (2024)

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris placed the NBA and its players on the world stage once again, as its basketball tournament stole the show. Various countries assembled rosters featuring NBA talents, with the United States, Canada, France, and Serbia among them.

In the end, Team USA defeated Team France in the Gold Medal game , notching their fifth straight win in that department. Despite the Americans making it look easy from a broad lens, it was all but, as France gave them a run for their money.

In particular, the young phenom Victor Wembanyama stole the show, posing as a severe threat to the Americans’ chances. Wemby took the world by storm last year when he was drafted first overall by the San Antonio Spurs , and although his team was not great, he displayed a lot of promise.

His Olympic success, despite not winning the Gold with France, has already propelled himself into star status, with superstar status on the table. And already having been embraced by the game’s current biggest stars, it has become clear that Victor Wembanyama has cemented himself as the next face of the NBA.

Thriving Early in His Career

Wembanyama has already proven himself at such a young age

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Every NBA generation has its own roster of stars, the faces that make up the league’s top talent and serve as representations of the league itself. For the better part of almost two decades, LeBron James has been that face, with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry following suit.

They have formed a three-headed machine that has represented the NBA well, both on a national level and international level. But eventually, the old stars must make way for the new, with those of the current generation taking over. Wembanyama will certainly be one of, if not the face, of the next generation.

Skill level and age are the primary factors that allow a superstar to blossom. Wembanyama already has a full NBA season and Olympics under his resume at just 20 years old, so he certainly has age on his side.

Although the Spurs were a relatively abysmal team last season, finishing 14th in the Western Conference at 22-60, Wembanyama was the one bright spot in a sea of otherwise dark spots. He stole the show each time he was on the court simply due to his natural talent.

Wembanyama would end up finishing the season averaging a double-double: 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, along with 3.9 assists, in his freshman campaign, in which he won Rookie of the Year. His shooting was also excellent, shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from three-point range.

His one weakness heading into the NBA was his shooting, particularly his three-point shooting, which was said to have needed work. He proved that he could not only survive in the NBA, but thrive, as he put up excellent numbers for his first season.

The scary part about Wembanyama’s game, not for himself but for his opponents, is his potential. He averaged those figures in his first year in the NBA, and at just 20 years old, he has immense potential to grow his game and become even better. That, certainly, is a recipe for success and superstardom.

Unlimited Potential

Wembanyama has the tools necessary to be the next face of the NBA

Wembanyama took his NBA talents to the international courts, when he opted to represent Team France in the 2024 Summer Olympics in his home country. With him leading the team on the court, France became one of the most feared teams in the entire tournament.

In six games throughout the Olympics, Wemby averaged 15.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. His performance, however, would be amplified in the clutch, when he reached the Gold Medal game against his toughest opponent yet: Team USA.

Wembanyama was a force in that game, exploding for 26 points, seven rebounds, and two assists against his idols and the current faces of the game in LeBron, Curry, and Durant. While Team USA would ultimately win the Gold Medal, a Silver Medal for a 20-year-old kid is nothing to scoff at.

Despite coming short of the Gold, Wembanyama’s ability to perform not only on the NBA court but on the international court has already proven that he is superstar-worthy. His skills will only improve as he ages, and in four years, when he will most likely be in his prime, he will be favored to win Gold.

In recent years, France has been responsible for rising NBA talents. Headlining that is Wembanyama himself, but this year’s NBA Draft saw Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr go first and second, both French players.

When they develop their games further, they will be forces to be reckoned with. With Wemby leading them, it’s no question that France could be favored to win the Gold in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Wembanyama is not the only superstar-to-be of his generation. He is surrounded by other young and elite talents, the likes of Anthony Edwards , Luka Dončić , Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Paolo Banchero , and more. But Wemby, with his young age and fun, simple, and innocent lifestyle, is easily the most marketable of those stars, and the one with the most upside.

The NBA and the sport of basketball itself rely on its marketing of superstars to thrive. When its best talents perform on the big stage that is the Olympics, lighting up the court simply by being themselves, it serves as the ultimate marketability.

Victor Wembanyama, with his talents, young age, and sheer potential, has all the tools in place to cement himself as the next face of the NBA.