Victor Wembanyama is a busy young man.
The Metropolitans 92 prodigy proved it again on Monday evening, in Strasbourg (84-81 defeat) in an advanced match of the 15th day of Betclic Elite, by seizing an old record… of precocity.
Thanks to the specialized site ProBallers, we learn that he has become the most prolific player under 19 in the history of the French Championship.
The record was previously the property of Antoine Rigaudeau, author of 605 points in 58 games in the first division before his 19th birthday.
While he lacked only 13 points to dethrone the "King" (Rigaudeau's nickname), Wembanyama did better.
He scored twice that.
26 units which allow him to reach the bar of 618 points.
A performance achieved for his last match in 2022 and a few days from blowing his 19th birthday (January 4).
Note that he reached this total in just 49 games.
Another reference in French basketball - and worldwide - Tony Parker is in 3rd place in this honorary ranking with 530 points in 53 games in the jersey of Paris between 1999 and 2001.
Victor Wembanyama became tonight the player who scored the most points in Pro A before his 19th birthday.
He scored a total of 618 points in 49 games.
He is ahead of Rigaudeau (605 points in 58 games) and Parker (530 points in 53 games).https://t.co/CAyx0v8ayR
— Benoit Dujardin (@benduj) December 26, 2022
In addition to these 26 units, Wemby broke his record for rebounds in a game with 18 catches (compared to 15 previously).
If he did not set a record with his perfect card in free throws (12 out of 12), it is still an exceptional performance, rare and perhaps unique for a tall player, traditionally uncomfortable in this exercise...
A meager consolation no doubt to erase the bitter taste of defeat.
But with such a line of statistics, the giant of the Mets (2.21 m under the height gauge) points, after 15 days, at the top of the rankings of the best scorers (22.9 average points per game), the best rebounders (9 , 6 average catches) and the best blockers (3).
Unheard of in the history of the Basketball League, created in 1987. Whoever is the first French player in the history of the Betclic Elite to chain 4 games to 30 points or more has such a lead - and margin of progression - that he could logically keep these three crowns at the end of the season and become the youngest MVP in the championship.
Note that he has already won the championship's best hope trophy twice... and that he is old enough to claim it again.
The All Star Game records in the sights
So far Edwin Jackson is the only Frenchman to have finished the season at the top of the ranking of the best scorers in the French Championship.
He finished with 18.2 points on average during the 2013-2014 season with Asvel.
Cyril Julian is the only tricolor to have carried over the title of best rebounder of the season with 9 catches in 2005-2006 with Nancy.
Victor #Wembanyama, an extraordinary body, a “Formula 1 that you have to learn to master” >> https://t.co/RcPluJK8Cp pic.twitter.com/KrpIzYV3kv
— The Parisian |
infographics (@leparisieninfog) December 27, 2022
The single-season points record belongs to American Ron Davies with 31.1 points (including a peak of 61 points in a game) with Mulhouse during the 1988-89 season.
His compatriot Phil Lockett has the best performance in rebounds in a match (28 shots in February 1990) and a season (13.7 average shots per game during the 1988-89 financial year) with Lorient.
At that time, teams were only allowed two foreign players in their rank.
If these two records seem beyond the reach of "Wemby", he can on the other hand try to steal the title of best "all-time" blocker which belongs to the American Derrick Lewis with an average of 3.4 blocks per match with Reims during of the 1990-91 season.
The latter also has this record on a match with 10 blocks since February 1990.
Before flying to the NBA at the end of the season, Victor Wembanyama will play his first – and probably last – All Star Game in the Basketball League on Thursday.
The opportunity for him to register, in front of some 15,833 spectators of a packed Accor Arena in Paris who will have eyes only for him, his name on the list of winners of this evening of stars and seizing the points record held by Yann Bonato (44 pts in 1995), that of Andy Fields' rebounds (17 in 1988) or counters (3).
He is also in contention in the 3-point shooting competition.