“He’s Really Really Skinny”: Guerschon Yabusele’s Initial Concerns For Fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama

Guerschon Yabusele has had an interesting path to NBA stardom. The forgotten big man was once cut from the Boston Celtics in 2019 and had to go back to France to work on his game. There, he got a glimpse of the nation’s sensation, Victor Wembanyama, whom he says he was worried about initially when he got a glimpse of his size and stature. 

Wembanyama has been looked at as a sensation ever since he was a young teen. Given his combination of height and skills, scouts caught on to him early on. Still, though, they only feared one thing.

“I was like, he’s really, really skinny. But what impressed me was the skills,” Yabusele said on The Roommates Show.

Yabusele was like many skeptics of the Frenchman at the time. They were all in awe of his skills and potential, but feared how his lack of strength would translate to the NBA. Although it wasn’t long after that that he proved he was a phenom. 

That’s why, despite his worries, Yabusele said he knew everything with Wembanyama would get figured out strength-wise.

“I was like, I know he’s going to put on some muscle. And I was like, when he’s going to come into the league, they’re going to change his body. It’s not going to stay like this. So, I kind of knew this was coming,” he said.

Yabusele has proven to be right in his prediction. Wembanyama said about a month ago that he’s put on around 30 pounds since entering the NBA. He came in weighing around 215, and is now up to a hearty 245.

This is pretty similar to what we saw with Giannis Antetokounmpo when he entered the league. His body has completely changed from then to now. Giannis is super strong and can now easily barrel his way to the hoop at will. 

Wembanyama could be on a similar trajectory. He’s already put on the weight; now he just needs to stay healthy. Deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder put his season to rest early last year. He still has not been cleared for contact.

All in all, while Yabusele and scouts were initially worried about Wembanyama’s weight, it seems like it shouldn’t be an issue. With NBA training regimens, he should get stronger in no time. It’s something we’ve seen with several players historically.

Yabusele and Wembanyama would eventually end up playing together on the French National Team in the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was there that Yabu got to show off his improved skills, which ended up getting him a contract offer from the Philadelphia 76ers. But now that Wemby is starting to put on weight, he might be wishing he had signed with the San Antonio Spurs instead.