Victor Wembanyama has a brother: Oscar Wembanyama is also a basketball player!
Sports runs in the Wembanyama family. While Victor attracts all the attention from the basketball world before the 2023 NBA Draft, his younger brother, Oscar, is also making a name for himself in the basketball community. The younger of three children was born on March 18, 2007, in Versailles, near Paris, and stands at an impressive 6’6’’ (200cm) at just 15 years old.
Oscar Wembanyama: From Handball Player to Hooper
Before playing basketball like his older siblings, Eve and Victor, Oscar Wembanyama was a talented handball player. On of the best of his generation. "My brother plays handball. He is part of the Yvelines selection. Like all of us, he has high level ambitions" told Victor Wembanyama to Sportmag. But the COVID-19 pandemic pushed Oscar to try something new and play organized basketball. And he is pretty good at it!
First season, first trophy for Oscar Wembanyama
Oscar Wembanyama made his basketball debut in 2020 with Nanterre's U15 team, which plays in the youth first division in France. At that time, his older brother Victor was playing with Nanterre's professional team in the French league on a regular basis. For his first year, Oscar's team became the French champion after defeating ASVEL with a score of 80 to 78.
A young, lanky forward/center, like the rest of his siblings, Oscar Wembanyama showcased his skills and caught the attention of French basketball scouts. In the summer of 2022, when Victor Wembanyama left ASVEL to join Vincent Collet at the Metropolitans 92, Oscar was recruited by ASVEL. One Wembanyama replaces another, and for good reason: it's difficult for the Lyon-Villeurbanne club to overlook the potential of the young teenager. This is a great opportunity for Oscar to further his development in one of France's best youth basketball programs.
The day Oscar Wembanyama played against Bronny James
On 15 August 2022, Oscar Wembanyama was invited to take part in the Axe Euro Tour, an exhibition game between the best French prospects and players from California. An opportunity to face major NBA prospects including Bronny and Bryce James (sons of LeBron James), Justin Pippen and Ashton Hardaway...
The game was broadcast on ESPN, and Victor was in the stands while Oscar Wembanyama played a few minutes. During his time on the court, he had an assist to his teammate Bilal Coulibaly that set social media ablaze. The play concluded with a dunk by Coulibaly.
Making his debut at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament
A student of the Tony Parker Academy, Oscar Wembanyama continues to develop his skills with the best prospects of his age. While still only a first-year player in the U18 Elite, he averages 6 points per game. Invited to participate in the Euroleague Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Greece with ASVEL, Oscar Wembanyama played an average of 12 minutes per game, despite being one of the youngest players on the team. In three games, the young Wembanyama contributed 2.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.
But beyond the statistics he caught the attention of the scouts when he anticipated an opponent's pass, intercepted it, and finished fast-break with a dunk.
Victor Wembanyama is already a big-time star and a generational prospect who shines in the French league and FIBA qualifiers with the French National team. Meanwhile, his younger brother is rapidly becoming a player to watch in the basketball world.