Victor Wembanyama dominated in OT of a thrilling Paris 2024 Olympics matchup between France and Japan. The underdog Japanese national team nearly pulled off an upset against France on their home court but managed to lose 90-94 after Wembanyama scored eight straight points in OT to lead France to the win. He reacted to his performance after the game.
“The realization, the dynamic of the game. They were playing like underdogs and we were waiting for them to punch a little bit too much. I wanted to make a point and punch first in overtime. And it worked.”
The head coach for the French national team, Vincent Collet, reacted to Wembanyama’s performance by heaping praise onto the 20-year-old center.
“For Victor, the main thing was to go inside, where he is sure to dominate every time. If he plays too much perimeter, he’s like any other player… Some nights you make the shots, and some nights you don’t make (them),” he added. “And when you are stressed, you have more chance not to make (them).”
“Even being a leader, he cannot win by himself,” said Collet. “He needs teammates to help him, and that’s what they did. Batum, especially tonight, but others too, I think we cannot be good if we don’t find this chemistry, for sure. Victor is our target on offense, but we need to find a way to involve everybody.”
This wasn’t a great performance for the French team, as they trailed for large chunks of the game and had multiple favorable referee decisions go their way. One of the biggest swing moments of the game was the ejection of Japan and Lakers’ star Rui Hachimura for an unsportsmanlike foul, a decision that fans have heavily criticized.
https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1818325862280007912
Another game-changing referee moment came when French shooter Matthew Strazel hit a late three while France was trailing by four, but the referee made a call for a four-point play which allowed France to push the game to OT.
This wasn’t even close to being a foul. The refs unquestionably robbed Japan of a potentially monumental upset win. They even unfairly kicked out Hachimura earlier in the game.
One of the worst calls in #Olympics basketball history. Disgustingly embarrassing and shameful. https://t.co/Gc426YcKEV pic.twitter.com/fol3WtYz4K
— PBA insider 🏀 (@PBAinsider) July 30, 2024
These decisions have left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths, but Wembanyama’s OT takeover cannot be questioned. Wemby ended the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
Vincent Collet Compared Wembanyama To Michael Jordan
Victor Wembanyama has been called a once-in-a-lifetime prospect since he was discovered a few years ago. He lived up to the hype in every possible way after his incredible rookie season which saw him become the first rookie to be named to the All-Defensive First Team and be only the sixth player to win Rookie of the Year unanimously.
Collet gave perspective on how Wembanyama is perceived by the French public, saying that people who don’t follow basketball already think he’s Michael Jordan.
“People who know basketball, they understand he’s only 20 years old. But people who don’t know basketball, they think Victor is already Michael Jordan.”
Wembanyama has a long way to go before he can even think of comparing himself to Michael Jordan. He’s had a great start in the NBA though, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game, over a historic rookie campaign.
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