French teen basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama thrills Paris crowd

PARIS: Victor Wembanyama scored his team’s first points after just 54 seconds, then pumped his arms when he assisted on the last score of Friday night’s game with a pass that traveled nearly the length of the court.

“Wembamania” is sweeping France and everyone is trying to get a look at the 18-year-old prodigy widely expected to become an NBA star.

Even 85-year-old former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin called the club’s president to ask for a ticket. The Socialist Party politician watched as Wembanyama scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting for Paris-based Metropolitans 92 in a 113-88 win against Blois. He went 2 for 3 from 3-point range and had seven rebounds and five blocks.

Grinning after a slick alley-oop and dunk late in the game, the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama then drew the roar of the night when he made a deep 3. Those few minutes of effortless-looking yet ruthless play were worth the entrance fee for the crowd of roughly 4,000.

He even did a little improvised coaching on court, tapping his head as if to say “think” to a teammate. Before the game started, he twice tapped the undersoles of his giant shoes.

Wembanyama drew a huge cheer when he sprinted like an Olympian — his angular running style making his arms look like pistons — to get back and block a shot near the end of the first quarter.

NBA great LeBron James described Wembanyama’s athleticism by saying “no one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid.”

Wembanyama did let frustration get to him at times on Friday, dropping his head when he missed one block. He looked annoyed with the officials — raising his hands as if to say, “Oh, come on!” — when a Blois player appeared to trip him.

He had only five points in the first half, without trying a 3, but