Victor Wembanyama on the front page of Le Parisien : “So much the better if I have money, but it won’t change much for me”

This Tuesday morning, Victor Wembanyama is entitled to the front page and three pages in the daily newspaper Le Parisien. Two topics are discussed: his size (2.21 m) and the huge amount of money he will receive once in the NBA.

About mastering his body, he states :

“It can be learned, indeed, but nobody knows how to do it and nobody can teach it. In fact, you just have to live it. The biggest thing is mental strength, which is essential. You may not realize it if you are a “normal” size, but moving a body like mine is actually very hard. It takes willpower, and mine has always been to play the way I’ve always played, when it’s a lot more complicated than for someone who’s 6-foot tall.”

A handicap ? Not at all.

“On the contrary, I consider my size an asset. On a basketball court, of course. I’m lucky, being a basketball player, to have an adapted environment, with a bed at my size for example. I go to places that are adapted to taller basketball players, so I live it quite well (…) As I got taller, I realized that there are rude people. Some people would make remarks when they passed me that might seem benign but were embarrassing and hurtful. The person who asked a question like, what’s it like to be so tall, thought I was hearing it for the first time when it was just the thousandth time.”

And here’s what he says when asked how it feels to know that he’s going to be very rich once he’s in the United States.

“I’ve never been a big spender. If I were to go crazy and see the numbers in my bank account, it would again mean that my mind is not up to par with my basketball. Good for me if I have money, I’m not going to say I don’t, but it’s not going to make much difference to me.”