The Big Take
Victor Wembanyama Sets Course to Become a Basketball Billionaire Unlike Any Other
The young French hoops star is on a path that could make him the first NBA player to earn $1 billion from contracts alone.
Victor Wembanyama before the 2023 NBA Draft on June 22, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Photographer: Grace Beal/NBAE/Getty ImagesRookie sensation Victor Wembanyama could become the first professional basketball player to earn $1 billion on the court.
The 7-foot 4-inch tall French phenom, who turned 20 on Jan. 4, was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the top pick in the 2023 National Basketball Association draft. The team signed him to a four-year, $55.2 million rookie contract, the largest possible deal under the US league’s current labor agreement.