“It’s France, brother,” had written Victor Wembanyama on the social network X/Twittera few minutes after the Draft of Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr in the first two places of the 2024 vintage. “Wemby”, attached to his French roots, is undoubtedly the best ambassador of France in the United States. As with Sidy Cissoko or Bilal Coulibaly last season, the Spurs interior is used to ensuring the promotion of his compatriots in the Great League.
Already a professional at ASVEL when Zaccharie Risacher was still with the Espoirs, the 2022 French champion with the Rhône club said he ” confident “ as “Risacz”’s big debut in the NBA approaches.
“I like what I see in preseason, he’s really comfortable,” he responded to DNA of Sports, after morning training, this Monday, October 21. “He has a fairly mature game that can quickly meet the demands of the NBA. I know he's going to have a great career and that he'll be in this league for a long time. »
Wemby still votes for Stephon Castle for the rookie of the year title
Unanimously elected rookie of the year after a very accomplished 2023/24 season on an individual level (21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 interceptions, all in 71 games), Wemby would however prefer to see his teammate, the promising Stephon Castle, drafted in 4th place by the Texan franchise last June, glean this individual reward. “But I don’t put him far behind”he nuances.
After morning training this Monday, Victor Wembanyama explained to @lemondefr / @basketusa that he was confident about Zaccharie Risacher's rookie season.
“I like what I see in preseason, he’s really comfortable. He has a fairly mature game that can quickly… pic.twitter.com/o86GGst4SL
— Théo Quintard (@TheoQuintard) October 21, 2024
During a videoconference organized by the NBA for the French media, Zaccharie Risacher returned the favor a few minutes later, describing Victor Wembanyama as a “single player”and affirming that it is “amazing to have a person like him who we can draw inspiration from”.
“I’m just in awe of what he’s doing and what he’s achieved so far. We come from the same country, we followed the same path a generation apart, whether in Betclic Elite or in the NBA with this first choice”says the new Hawks winger, specifying that he “knows him very little” but that Wemby “was kind enough to [le] congratulate [lui] sending a message after the Draft ».
From our correspondent in San Antonio (United States).
