By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist
At just 20 years old, Victor Wembanyama was undoubtedly the darling of the French public during the Paris Olympic Games. Adam Silver also referred to this status in one of his speeches in recent hours.
Although he did not have the experience and track record of some of his teammates, he was the one who attracted almost all eyes. Victor Wembanyama knew he was being scrutinized during the Paris Olympics, and he lived up to expectations in a heroic, albeit lost, final against Team USA. This earned him the cheers of the crowd as he climbed onto the podium.
Wembanyama receives a standing ovation from the fans at Accor Arena, sounding about as loud as those for LeBron and Curry
— Inside The Spurs (@InsideTheSpurs) August 10, 2024
Wembanyama received a standing ovation from the Accor Arena crowd, as loud as those reserved for LeBron (James) and (Stephen) Curry.
Adam Silver takes Victor Wembanyama as a reference for the NBA
A true Olympic star, Wembanyama should not have to trade in this costume for his second season on the NBA courts. Quite the contrary, if we are to believe controversial projections by some American media. The young French interior should indeed offer the Spurs an enormous influence, which is not to displease the league commissioner, Adam Silver. The latter declared this Tuesday:
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Adam Silver : In the past, players might have felt like they had to go to certain markets to become big stars, because of the way the media works. I don’t think that’s the case anymore. Today, players realize that’s changed. I’ve used this example a lot, and recently, but just look at Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio.
Compared to other markets in this league, San Antonio is a small market. And yet, I don’t think anyone is saying that Victor Wembanyama’s popularity level has a ceiling because he plays there. In any case, we saw at the Olympics that French fans don’t think so. I myself believe that he has the opportunity to become a huge star on an international scale.
And the good thing is that it will be determined by his success as a player and with his team. Not by the size of the market he plays in.
Despite a media exposure that is a priori less than that of players playing in Los Angeles or New York, Wemby displays no limits in terms of celebrity. Enough to satisfy Adam Silver, attached to the fact that the big markets NBA do not enjoy a somewhat unfair advantage in the market.
For Adam Silver, Victor Wembanyama proves that the size of markets in the NBA no longer dictates the level of popularity of players. The French prodigy will thus be able to continue wearing the Spurs colors, without fear that his reputation will be affected.
2024-09-12 06:05:30