San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama puts on a show on the world’s biggest stage

The news wasn’t that France beat Brazil 78-66 on Saturday in its first Olympic match. That was the subplot.

The story was Victor Wembanyama’s true introduction to the world.

The world got to see what San Antonio Spurs fans already knew: Wembanyama is a force to be reckoned with. The 20-year-old scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds, had four steals, three blocks and two assists in his Olympic debut.

Wembanyama played for his compatriots and showed his skills both offensively and defensively.

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France trailed by 12 points in the second quarter and Wembanyama scored six of the next eight goals to give the French a one-point lead going into the break.

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade was so impressed with a move Wembanyama made toward the basket that he compared it to a move he saw in Space Jam.

“Victor Wembanyama is exciting and that’s not a big enough word for what he brings,” Wade said. “But what I like most about him… is the patience of this player… To make sure his teammates get involved and get into the game first.”

Wembanyama was so smooth with his jump shot that he barely used the rim. It was almost poetry in motion. He showed why he was unanimously named Rookie of the Year in the NBA last season. At 20 years old, he showed his country what they can look forward to for a long time.

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Together with Rudy Gobert, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, a wall was formed in the second half that France could no longer break through, ultimately allowing them to defeat Brazil.

Suddenly it was no longer just Wembanyama, although he is now the star of the show on the world stage.

The French team proved that it can also play football.

Next up for “Les Bleus” is a test against Japan on Tuesday. A win there would continue their unbeaten run with just one more pool play game remaining.

Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. (Central Central).