We probably could have guessed that the Olympic stage wouldn't be too big for Victor Wembanyama — he is the tallest player in the Paris Games, after all. With the weight of a country on his shoulders, Wemby was sensational in his Olympic debut, posting 19 points along with a team-high nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks to lead France past Brazil, 78-66, in each team's Group B opener.
It was a sluggish start for Les Bleus, who seemed to slump a bit under the weight of expectation that comes with both hosting the Games and having a 7-foot-4 phenom on your roster. France's offense was ice-cold out of the gates, while an energetic Brazilian squad jumped out to a 23-15 after one quarter.
In many ways, it was the worst-case scenario: France's lack of shooting — particularly with the twin towers of Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert on the floor together — cramped the team's spacing, making life even more difficult for a team that can be a bit rote on offense even on a good day. Meanwhile, Brazil's fast start took the raucous sellout crowd at Pierre Mauroy Stadium out of the game.
And then Wemby happened, and none of that seemed to matter anymore. The unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year was everywhere, blocking shots on one end and throwing down preposterous dunks on the other.
"That dunk he had, I'm pretty sure his head was above the rim," Wembanyama's teammate, guard Evan Fournier, said. "I couldn't believe it."
Wembanyama scored 11 of France's 24 points in the second quarter, and a 9-2 run to close the first half gave Les Bleus their first lead of the game. They started the second in much the same fashion, with a 15-5 spurt to take a commanding lead that they wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way.
“We pressed the button," Wembanyama explained after the game. "We just adjust. It’s just adjusting. I think their gameplan was to be the first to punch, so they did well, but I think we responded even better.”
That response? Suffocating defense, the sort that has become this team's calling card during this Olympic cycle. France put arms in every passing lane, with Wembanyama and Gobert barricading the rim: It held Brazil to 13 points in the second quarter and just nine in the third, while Brazil shot just 40% from the field on the day and coughed up 20 turnovers. That led to loose balls, which led to transition offense and far better looks at the rim.
"In just the inside positions, we’ve got two of the best players in the EuroLeague, the very best players, and two good defensive front-runners for defensive player of the year," Wembanyama said. "We're all here for a purpose, and we are all ready to give our spot to the next guy."
Nicolas Batum pitched in 13 points while Frank Ntilikina added three 3s for France. Leo Meindl and Cristiano Felicio led Brazil with 14 apiece.
Each team will be back in action on Tuesday, July 30. France will meet Japan, who lost to Germany earlier Saturday, while Brazil faces the Germans in a matchup that could go a long way to deciding who advances to the knockout round.