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All Star Game: "It's the Wemby effect, everyone wants to see it"... Wembanyama madness at the Accor Arena

2022-12-29T19:27:14.982Z


The Accor Arena was packed this Thursday evening, with no less than 15,833 spectators, to see Victor Wembanyama "in real life" in his œ


The doors of the Accor Arena do not open for a good half hour but Pierre, Lakers cap on his head, is already present on the forecourt of the Parisian hall with his partners from his Oise club.

The quadra had planned wide but it was "out of the question to arrive late" at the All Star Game, the big evening for the stars of French basketball which is held Thursday evening in the den of show sport and which, for the 19th time immediately, full poster.

Above all, what Pierre does not want to miss - like the 15,833 spectators of the evening, including some VIPs including the actor Pierre Niney - are Victor Wembanyama's arabesques.

The prodigy of French basketball (18 years old), the demiurge of the parquet floors - 2.21 m under the fathom but capable of playing as a back - whose name is on everyone's lips.

“It's one of the rare occasions to see it in person, it must be impressive, blows Pierre.

Even if we are placed at the very top, I think we will be able to distinguish it well.

»

After having filled the halls of France and Navarre in which he has played since the start of the season with the Metropolitans and attracted stars such as Michaël Douglas or the French footballer and vice-world champion Randal Kolo Muani in the sports palace Marcel- Cerdan de Levallois, Wemby is undoubtedly the big attraction of the All Star Game.

The beautiful and noisy ovation of the Accor Arena when the player from Boulogne-Levallois entered the floor for the three-point shooting competition (where he was eliminated in half) confirms that he is the star of the evening of the stars.

"We would have been sold out in any case but the places sold out much faster, it's the Wemby effect, everyone wants to see it", we assure the Basketball League.

👋🏾 @vicw_32 @FRABasketball #ASG2022 #allstargame pic.twitter.com/N40s65vQYG

— All Star Game by Gorillas (@ASGLNB) December 29, 2022

“Victor is already the present but above all the future of French basketball, a promising future”, confides Mathieu, 32, Kobe Bryant jersey on the back.

Coming from Plaisir (Yvelines) with his two teenagers, Grégory, 43, also comes to see and support Wembanyama.

“He started at Chesnay near our home.

We took our places before the selection of the match came out but we suspected that he would be taken, he is having an incredible season (

the interior of the Mets is currently the best scorer, rebounder and blocker in the championship

).

I have a friend who has a photo with him when he was still playing at Nanterre.

It must be worth a lot now (he laughs).

This is the attraction of the evening, we wanted to see him before he leaves for the NBA.

»

The possibilities of seeing the neo-international (2 selections), announced in first place in the next NBA draft, are indeed becoming increasingly rare.

Injured last year a few days before the event, Wemby is playing his first and probably last time before a long French All Star Game lease.

“It's a unique opportunity to see it, the places are expensive, confirms Sylvain, 38, from Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine).

I saw it from afar this summer during a match between the best American and French hopefuls in Nanterre.

It does not go unnoticed.

But what impresses me the most is that, despite his size, he moves really well.

»

Coming from Étampes (Essonne) with his wife and three children aged 4 to 14, Julien is also impatient to experience the Wembanyama sensation.

“With my Morigny-Etréchy club, we try to go see him play at Levallois but it's impossible to get a place, everything flies away in a few minutes, confides the quadra.

This All Star is the perfect opportunity, perhaps unique for me, to finally be able to see him before he leaves for the NBA.

My 11 year old son and his club partners watch Victor's videos on the networks.

In a few years we will be able to say that we have seen him play.

A rare privilege.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2022-12-29

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