Rising Wembanyama 'worried for the opponents in a couple years'

After leading France to a silver medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama knows his arrow is only pointing upward.

"I'm learning, and I'm worried for the opponents in a couple years," Wembanyama told reporters, including The Associated Press' Kyle Hightower, after his team's 98-87 loss Saturday.

When asked to clarify whether he meant in the NBA or with his national team, the 20-year-old responded: "Everywhere."

Wembanyama was sensational on both ends of the floor for France, nearly doubling up second place on his team in efficiency rating. He led the squad in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and 3-pointers.

He saved his best performance for the gold-medal game, scoring a game-high 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting.

More importantly, after a shaky start, Wembanyama had his team within three points of a loaded American squad in the fourth quarter. The French team graciously took second place on home soil.

"I'm going to enjoy the moment," said Wembanyama, "I'm proud of my teammates. I'm proud of having what we've done here in France in front of our fans. I'm going to let it all soak in."

Back in America, Wembanyama and his Spurs are expected to take a leap forward after he took home the Rookie of the Year in his first season. The team added veteran Chris Paul at point guard to help provide experience.