As the 2024 Paris Olympics approach, the dominant American men’s basketball team will have their work cut out for them in their pursuit of a fifth consecutive gold medal. Standing in their way will be a familiar 7-foot-5-inch obstacle, Victor Wembanyama, who returns to compete at the Olympics on home soil with France.
The 20-year-old Wembanyama has been turning heads worldwide with his combination of size, length, and skill. After being called the most anticipated NBA prospect in 20 years, he lived up to the hype by winning Rookie of the Year honors while displaying his defensive prowess with career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game.
Even superstars like LeBron James and Steph Curry have been impressed by the challenges Wembanyama presents athletically and defensively. His towering frame and wingspan make it extremely difficult for any player to score over or around him.
The last two Olympics have shown cracks in the image of American dominance, only narrowly defeating France in the 2021 final and failing to medalist at the 2019 World Cup. With Gobert joining Wembanyama on the French national team, any team will struggle to score freely against their imposing frontcourt tandem.
As the host country, France is motivated to capture gold on its biggest basketball stage to date. Standing in their way is a loaded USA roster featuring top stars, but the X-factor may be their own rising titans in Wembanyama, who can’t wait for the chance to battle against Team USA.
