In 2024, the San Antonio Spurs centre was unanimously named NBA Rookie of the Year and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. At the age of 20, he was also the first rookie to be named to the All-Defensive First Team. One of the outstanding prospects of the new generation, due to his rare combination of height, speed, ball-handling skills and agility, he had been selected first overall by the Spurs in the 2023 NBA draft. Wembanyama also represents the French national team, with whom he won a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics.
