French NBA players Victor Wembanyama (left) and Nicolas Batum (right)
NBA (DR) / Philadelphia 76ers (DR)

Before finding him a priori in the ranks of the French team this summer, Nicolas Batum faced Victor Wembanyama in the NBA this Sunday for the third time.

The opportunity for him to reveal that his young compatriot has somewhat thwarted his predictions.

Between them, they should embody two of the essential cogs of the Blues during the upcoming Paris Olympic Games.

Until then, Nicolas Batum and Victor Wembanyama already have the mission to finish their NBA season with dignity.

This included a clash this Sunday between 76ers and Spurs, in which each played a leading role in the performance of their respective team.

How Wembanyama surpassed Nico Batum’s expectations

Despite Wembanyama’s 33 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 blocks, it was Philadelphia who left the Frost Bank Center with the victory after two overtimes (133-126).

This, in particular thanks to the efforts of Batum, congratulated among other things for his defense on the young French interior at the end of the match. A

muscular defense to which he returned afterwards in comments reported by L’Équipe :

It was the only chance I had! When you play this kind of phenomenon who is 20 years old when you are 35, when you have a second match in two days and you already have 40 minutes in your legs, you have no choice.

In the end, I told my team, “Leave it to me, I’ll try to manage it.” » On the first action, I put him on the ground on purpose. It was nothing personal, we had to win the match.

Without pity towards his compatriot, the captain of the French team did not forget to salute Victor’s XXL performance.

He also took the opportunity to reveal the aspect that impresses him the most about the rookie from San Antonio , author of an incredible first season across the Atlantic.

Moreover, Batman himself recognizes that despite all the esteem he has always held for him, he did not expect as much from him:

I have known him for a long time, and those who know him like me are not shocked by what he achieves.

The only thing is, I didn’t think he would do all that in his first year. I imagined maybe his second.

He is unique and what we are seeing of him right now is probably the worst in the next fifteen years.

Wemby continues to progress and risks representing an increasingly insoluble problem for its opponents over the years.

As such, Nico was delighted to have been able to get the upper hand on him while he could:

I’m really happy to have won tonight. I don’t think it will be that easy against him in the future.

Even though he had no doubt that Victor Wembanyama would succeed in the NBA, Nicolas Batum admits that the French prodigy’s precocity took him by surprise.

It is therefore better to accumulate successes against him while there is still time.