Playing in front of fans in his home country of France at the Paris Olympics, Victor Wembanyama was overcome by emotion a during the Games. One such moment occurred during France’s 98-87 loss to Team USA in the men’s basketball gold medal game, after which Wembanyama broke down into tears, realizing how close he had come to leading his country to a special gold medal.
An emotional Wembanyama, while congratulating members of Team USA, found two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant, and the two players embraced.
During a recent appearance on M6 TV in France, Wembanyama shared what he told Durant after the loss.
“This is my personal childhood favorite player… I made it clear to him that I wanted to learn from him and perhaps steal one or two of his secret techniques,” Wembanyama said.
It’s clear how much respect Wembanyama, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2023-24 campaign, has for Durant.
And it appears to be mutual. Durant, after a Phoenix Suns loss to the San Antonio Spurs in November of ’23, was very complimentary of Wembanyama’s game.
“He’s a unique player who is going to be a force in this league for a long time,” Durant said. “Once he continues to get experience under his belt, he’s just going to get even better.”
Wembanyama was already a force during his rookie season, as he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game in 71 contests. But if Wembanyama can add a few components to his game from Durant, who is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, then opponents will have even fewer answers for the 7’4″ French big man.
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