Victor Wembanyama just had a stellar rookie campaign in the NBA during the regular season after showing a lot of potential for the San Antonio Spurs. The thing is, the Metropolitans 92, his former team in the French League, is shutting down for an important reason.
Even before he stepped foot on an NBA court, Wembanyama has already turned heads to his direction. Thanks to a unique blend of size, ball handling, shot creation, and defense, the French star was able to mesmerize American audiences from afar.
The hype surrounding Wemby took on a new level when the Spurs selected him in the 2023 NBA Draft using the first pick. Since then, the San Antonio big man showed a lot of potential in the 71 games he played with the team. During that stretch, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game.
Even though the Spurs had one of the worst records in the league this season, having Wembanyama play like he did in those regular season games offered a lot of promise for the franchise. With the right core of players around him, there’s no reason San Antonio won’t contend in the West in the coming years.
The Main Reason Why Victor Wembanyama’s Former Team Is Shutting Down
Before he made waves with the Spurs, Wembanyama captured everyone’s attention when he played for the Metropolitans 92. However, his former team announced they are shutting down their operations. In an article written by Jake Nisse for Daily Mail:
‘These painful decisions are unfortunately imposed on us,’ Boulogne-Billancourt Mayor Pierre-Christophe Baguet said in a press release.
‘We have done everything in recent years to maintain our financial support for our professional basketball team and the ice rink (the closure of which was also announced). But today we must make choices for the future,’ Nisse’s article stated.
Wemby’s former team was founded in 2007 and featured several stars who went on to play in the NBA. Apart from the Spurs rookie, Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly was the latest star from the team that made the jump to the league.
Even though the Mets 92 are closing down, their legacy will forever be cemented in basketball history. For without them, Wembanyama would not have developed into the player he is today.
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