Victor Wembanyama’s Parents’ Height: Exploring 7ft 4″ French Sensation’s Genetics

Victor Wembanyama might still be waiting to make his regular season NBA debut, but has been highly touted for quite some time already. The French International initially went viral after he played against 3-time DPOY Rudy Gobert at the age of 16. Standing at an impressive 7 ft 4”, Wemby is a uniquely impressive ball handler and his skills have often been said to be guard-like. The San Antonio Spurs have already shown flashes of brilliance in the preseason, and will only get better with time.

While the general expectation is that he is set to take the NBA by storm, it seems as if Wembanyama’s athleticism is also a result of genetics. While his mother, Elodie de Fautereau was a professional basketball player, his father Felix Wembanyama was also an athlete who majorly trained Wemby during his formative year, according to Sporting News.

Sports runs in Victor Wembanyama’s family

Wembanyama has himself previously given credit for his tactical intelligence to his father, who played multiple sports. Hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Wembanyama was a track-and-field athlete who participated in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump.

While his father would train him on a daily basis, Wemby’s mother Elodie was responsible for introducing him to the sport. A professional basketball player, Elodie has also represented France and currently works as a youth basketball coach. Speaking about his parents’ impact, Wembanyama said the following,

“Dad gave me the passion for knowing subjects in depth,” Victor Wembanyama said, “being a real technician of sports, of whatever I do.”I mean, I had the choice and I still have the choice to play or not play basketball, but basketball has always been around. I can’t avoid it in my family. My mother, she’s more like me. We really look alike, and she’s kind of eccentric sometimes.”

While Wembanyama is set to make his NBA debut, his sister is also a professional basketball player, back in France. Eve Wembanyama, still only 21, has previously played for France at the FIBA Under-16 European Championship and currently plays in Ligue Feminine 2 De Basketball.

The family’s association with the sport does not end there. While his brother Oscar is a handball player, both of Wemby’s grandparents also played basketball. His maternal grandfather Michel de Fautereau played for the Paris University Club in the 1960s.

Victor Wembanyama has huge goals for the first season in the NBA

The San Antonio Spurs’ number 1 draft pick is already looking forward to his first season. He recently claimed that he was getting better all the time, and was integrating with the team well.

According to San Antonio Express News, Wemby simply wants to get closer to the final goal of winning the NBA title:

“For me, a successful season is a season where we get closer to the final goal – even by 1 percent – which is to win a title. I want to learn and make all the sacrifices to help the franchise and bring us closer. Personally, it’s the same: No statistical objective, but it’s certain that if I want to help my (team), it will involve good performances. I have no doubt about our ability to win right now.”

While there might be some questions regarding his compatibility with the NBA, Wembanyama has shown precisely the attitude he needs to succeed so far. The 21-year-old has shown a willingness to improve and has already shown what he is capable of, in the preseason.