"They think Victor is already Jordan" - France's coach speaks bluntly about Victor Wembanyama's comparison to Michael Jordan
Victor Wembanyama is looking to lead France to glory on their own turf in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Wembanyama is already one step closer after beating Brazil in their opening game of the tournament. However, it seems like some of his fans are getting ahead of themselves by comparing him to the great Michael Jordan.
In an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, France national team head coach Vincent Collett admitted that Wembanyama was feeling a little stressed before the start of the tournament. Collett thought that the pressure was coming from people who don't know basketball and began comparing the 20-year-old to quite possibly the greatest player ever.
"This week, I would say three days before the game, I felt he was a little bit stressed. So we talked together and everybody around, teammates, rest of the staff, and we tried to help him. And I think he's so mature, day by day he got better with that, and he just wanted to start," Collett said.
The 61-year-old coach added:
"In France, everybody waits for him like, I don't know which word to use, but everybody waits for him. You have the people who know basketball and they understand he's only 20 years old. But people that like sports but don't know basketball, they think Victor is already Michael Jordan. Take time, take time."
Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA with a lot of hype, possibly the biggest hype in league history. There were a lot of expectations from him, with only LeBron James as the comparable prospect to enter the NBA with a lot of fanfare.
Michael Jordan, on the other hand, was the third overall pick of his draft and had to work harder to achieve the things he did. He went from basketball GOAT to sports mythical figure to pop culture phenomenon because of his shoes.
It's hard to compare Wemby to MJ, given that they are entirely different players. Maybe they can compare them later in the San Antonio Spurs star's career when he has taken over the league.
Victor Wembanyama leads France to win over Brazil in Olympic debut
Victor Wembanyama had a fantastic Olympic debut for France on Saturday, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, two assists, four steals and three blocks over Brazil. Wembanyama led the hosts to a 78-66 win alongside a host of NBA veterans such as Nicolas Batum and Rudy Gobert.
Batum had himself a night as well with 19 points, five rebounds and two steals, while Gobert contributed just seven points due to foul trouble. Wemby picked up the slack on the defensive end while also being almost impossible to guard on the other end.
France will face Japan next on Tuesday and will try to improve to a 2-0 record. Japan is coming off a 20-point loss to the reigning FIBA World Cup champions Germany, who will battle Brazil on the same day.