We will realize even better later, when he is no longer there, how much the Victor Wembanyama phenomenon touches on the irrational. For the third time this season, the giant fills this Tuesday, May 30 the Accor Arena on its name alone. Mets 92 "host" Asvel (20:30 p.m., BeIN Sports) for the second round of the France Championship semifinal. Boulogne-Levallois leads 1-0 after the first round on Sunday (75-69).
The second service takes place in the setting of the Porte de Bercy. Stuck between a concert by Aya Nakamura that vacated the hall Sunday night and a show of -M- that will invest the premises from June 1, the Mets had only a few hours to prepare the big hall. No need to rush to the ticket office to salute the effort: there is no longer any of the 15,000 seats on sale, everything is full to the brim, even the press gallery.
PODCAST. Victor Wembanyama, a giant leap from French basketball to the NBA
"It's exceptional," enthuses the coach of the Blues and coach of the Mets, Vincent Collet. The last seats were sold out Saturday at 11 a.m. while the ticket office had been opened at noon the day before. Even the Arena officials were surprised by this incredible enthusiasm. There are many concerts that go away just as quickly, but, usually, fans know this and prepare in advance to connect. Our game was only announced late Thursday night without being able to say anything before. First we had to qualify against Cholet. It's unbelievable. We're going to have a great night of basketball. »
Enjoy Wemby's arabesques to the end
It is quite irrational, indeed. Okay, there is the poster against the triple champions of France, the stake of the game that could bring Boulogne-Levallois closer to the final. But make no mistake: the one still bringing this crowd is Victor Wembanyama and, in three weeks, will be drafted by the San Antonio Spurs. We want to enjoy his arabesques until the end. In a few days, it will be too late. Unless the Mets extend the adventure and qualify for the final against the winner of the other half, between Monaco and Bourg. It's off to a good start.
Read alsoWembanyama in the NBA: the San Antonio Spurs, a French story
It is amazing this team from Boulogne-Levallois. We talk endlessly about Victor Wembanyama, but it's not just him: Bilal Coulibaly, the real revelation of the season, who will also be drafted in the first round by the NBA on June 22, is royal. Never bad, the American DeShaun Thomas is (very) very valuable and we must not forget that Vincent Collet's team is the youngest in the championship, with the least experience on the grid. It also plays with the most French players.
Yes, this team has something that could take it very far. "I enjoy herself and I'm very proud of her," repeats Vincent Collet, who will also say goodbye at the end of the season, to devote himself 100% to the France team before Paris 2024. This something is obviously called Victor Wembanyama, the planetary prodigy. But that's not all.
