It was far from an easy ride for Wemby and Co. who went into overtime against Japan
VICTOR Wembanyama has gone viral after being snapped alongside an opponent almost two feet shorter than him.
The NBA Rookie of the Year, 20, took to the court for France’s second game of the Olympics on Tuesday when they faced Japan.
Victor Wembanyama scored 18 as France beat Japan 94-90Credit: AP
Wembanyama went viral after being marked by Yuki Togashi who is almost two feet shorter than the FrenchmanCredit: Reuters
Togashi scored three points in 12 minutes off the bench for JapanCredit: Reuters
It proved to be a tough game for Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and Co. as Rui Hachimura and Yuki Kawamura put on a show for the Japanese.
Kawamura scored a game-high 29 points, along with seven rebounds, and a joint game-best 6 assists.
In doing so, he became just the third player this century to rack up over 25 assists, five rebounds, and five assists in an Olympic game, as per FIBA.
Teammate Hachimura added another 24 points for Japan, who despite their valiant effort, would go on to lose 94-90 in overtime.
However, it was 5ft 6ich Yuki Togashi, who played 12 minutes off the bench for Japan, who stole many of the headlines.
Lining up opposite 7ft 4inch Wembanyama on multiple occasions during the game, their stark height difference caught the attention of fans.
“This is wild,” one viewer tweeted.
“David and Goliath,” said a second.
“To say this is a mismatch is an understatement,” added another.
While a fourth joked, “This is how it feels checking in as a freshman on varsity against a 5-star center.”
Watch amazing moment Paris 2024 Olympics star finds out he’s having baby girl moments after picking up medal
San Antonio Spurs star Wembanyama ultimately finished with a team-high 18 points, along with 11 rebounds and six assists.
Notably, 16 of Wemby’s points came in just over two and a half minutes to start overtime.
The win leaves France second in Group B four points behind Germany who have a better points differential.
France and Germany will battle it out on Friday to close out the group phase.
How to watch the Olympics in the US
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While you may feel very far from the 2024 Paris Olympics, you can stay up-to-date with all of the action right from the comfort of your sofa.
You can watch on:
Peacock
Sling
Hulu
Fubo
Or if you’re not able to watch, you can follow along with The Sun’s live blog for the latest updates from France.
As for the star-studded US team, they are currently top of Group C after one game, having beaten Nikola Jokic’s Serbia 110-84.
Perhaps unsurprisingly it was Kevin Durant and LeBron James who led the way for Team USA, scoring a game-high 23 and 21 points respectively.
James also led the game in both rebounds (seven) and assists (nine).
Jokic’s 20 points, eight assists, and five rebounds were all team bests.
Team USA will take on South Sudan on Wednesday before facing Puerto Rico on Saturday.
LeBron James will look to lead Team USA to a second straight win against South Sudan on WednesdayCredit: Getty
