Victory Wembanyama took over the NBA by storm in 2023-24. Now, he looks to do the same at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he will be playing once again in front of his home country.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs headlines France’s Olympic basketball roster alongside Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. France medaled with silver in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, falling to the United States in the gold medal game.
While the task won’t be easy to seek revenge against the Americans, Wembanyama does have the advantage of experience playing against the U.S.’s top talent — including Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Joel Embiid — that he will look to use in Paris. Another advantage: his tremendous height, which — coupled with his ball-handling skills — made challenging for NBA teams to defend him this past season.
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Here’s what you need to know on Wembanyama heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics, including his height and stats:
Victor Wembanyama height
On the Spurs official roster, Wembanyama is listed at 7-foot-4. However, there is some disparity in Wembanyama’s height, as the NBA listed his height at 7 feet, 3 1/2 inches after the 2023 NBA Draft.
“He plays the right way, plays to win. I’ve never seen anything like him. I don’t know how tall he is, he’s not 7-3. He’s way taller. Whoever says he’s 7-3, that’s a lie,” Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis jokingly said about Wembanyama’s height in January.
He was the tallest player on the Spurs last season, with Zach Collins being the closest in height to Wembanyama at 6-11.
Victor Wembanyama wingspan
Wingspan: 8 feet
Per ESPN in February 2023, Wembanyama has a wingspan of 8 feet. While that has yet to be officially confirmed by the NBA or Spurs, it would rank third in NBA history, behind only Tacko Fall’s 8-2 wingspan and Manute Bol’s 8-6 wingspan.
REQUIRED READING: USA basketball Olympic men’s team roster: Who made the cut for Paris Olympics
Tallest player in the NBA
Wembanyama is tied with the Houston Rockets’ Boban Marjanovic and Memphis Grizzlies’ Zach Edey — who was taken No. 9 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft — as the tallest players currently in the NBA. Unlike Marjanovic and Edey, however, Wembanyama is on the slimmer side, reportedly weighing roughly 210 pounds — compared to Marjanovic’s 291 pounds and Edey’s 300 pounds.
Here’s a full list of the tallest players in the NBA per the the leagues’ official roster:
T-1. Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs: 7-foot-4
T-1. Boban Marjanovic (Houston Rockets): 7-foot-4
T-1. Zach Edey (Memphis Grizzlies): 7-foot-4
4. Bol Bol (Phoenix Suns): 7-foot-3
T-5. Moses Brown (Portland Trail Blazers): 7-foot-2
T-5. Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers): 7-foot-2
T-5. Kristaps Porzingis (Boston Celtics): 7-foot-2
T-8. Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves): 7-foot-1
T-8. Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder): 7-foot-1
T-8. Jay Huff (Denver Nuggets): 7-foot-1
T-8. Luke Kornet (Boston Celtics): 7-foot-1
T-8. Dereck Lively II (Dallas Mavericks): 7-foot-1
T-8. Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks): 7-foot-1
Tallest player in NBA history
As previously reported by USA TODAY’s Jim Sergent, Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol are the tallest players to have ever played in the NBA, at 7-7 each. Wembanyama is tied for the ninth-tallest player in NBA history with several players, including Marjanovic and Edey.
Here’s a full list of the tallest players in the history of the NBA:
T-1. Gheorghe Muresan: 7-foot-7
T-1. Manute Bol: 7-foot-7
T-3. Shawn Bradley: 7-foot-6
T-3. Yao Ming: 7-foot-6
T-5. Sim Bhullar: 7-foot-5
T-5. Chuck Nevitt: 7-foot-5
T-5. Pavel Podkolzin: 7-foot-5
T-5. Slavko Vranes: 7-foot-5
T-9. Victor Wembanyama: 7-foot-4
T-9. Zach Edey: 7-foot-4
T-9. Boban Marjanovic: 7-foot-4
T-9. Mark Eaton: 7-foot-4
T-9. Rik Smits: 7-foot-4
T-9. Ralph Sampson: 7-foot-4
T-9. Priest Lauderdale: 7-foot-4
REQUIRED READING: USA basketball Olympic women’s team roster: Who made the cut for Paris Olympics
When was Victor Wembanyama drafted?
Round: 1
Pick: 1
Year: 2023
Wembanyama was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. He was selected out of France’s LNB Pro A league, where he averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in 2023 for Metropolitans 92.
“I can’t really describe it,” Wembanyama said on draft night. “It’s still fresh. One of the best feelings of my life. Probably the best night of my life. I’ve been dreaming about this for so long. It’s a dream come true. It’s incredible.”
Where is Victor Wembanyama from?
Hometown: Le Chesnay, Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, France
Wembanyama hails from Le Chesnay, Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, France, which is a western suburb of Paris and located 23 minutes away from the Eiffel Tower.
Victor Wembanyama stats, highlights
Here are some highlights from Wembanyama’s rookie campaign in San Antonio, which includes several thundering slam dunks:
Here’s a breakdown of Wembanyama’s stats from his rookie season with the Spurs, one in which he picked up NBA Rookie of the Year and All-NBA Defense Team honors in:
Total points: 1,522
Total rebounds: 755
Total assists: 274
Total blocks: 254
Total games played: 71
Triple-Doubles: Two
Double-Doubles: 42
Points per game: 21.9
Rebounds per game: 10.6
Shooting: 46.5%
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Wembanyma height, wingspan, more ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
