Immediately after losing the gold medal final to Team USA, Victor Wembanyama went to congratulate his opponents. One player, in particular, caught his attention: following a hug with Kevin Durant, his all time favorite player.
After the final buzzer, tears came. For Victor Wembanyama, who had delivered an outstanding personal performance, the Paris final was a heavy disappointment.
At twenty years old and in his first Olympic experience, the Spurs’ center truly believed in the possibility of defeating a version of Team USA led by three genuine living legends. However, his 26 points and 7 rebounds were not enough.
On the other side, LeBron James and especially Steph Curry showed that they still belong to another category despite their not-so-young age. Yet, when it came time to congratulate the opponents, Wembanyama’s attention was drawn to the other great veteran of Team USA, the third living legend of a perhaps unrepeatable team.
Wemby, KD, and the Tricks of the Trade
The comparisons between Wembanyama and Durant, in fact, go back to the first public appearances of the young French phenomenon. The ability to handle the ball and the elegant shooting technique, despite a height that theoretically shouldn’t allow for such qualities, have always linked the Suns’ star and the latest Rookie of the Year.
It’s no surprise what Wembanyama revealed when recounting the content of his brief conversation with Durant: “KD has been my favorite player since I was a kid,” Wembanyama stated, also emphasizing the generational gap that separates him from his idol, “I wanted to learn from him and maybe steal a couple of his secret techniques.”
The upcoming NBA season, in which the Frenchman is expected to make a leap forward that could already place him among the league’s best, will tell us if Durant’s advice has found concrete application on the court.
