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    Victor Wembanyama towers over Japanese players at 2024 Olympics

    By Bradley Locker,

    4 hours ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2wZRzp_0uicnXlJ00

    Victor Wembanyama made most look silly during his first NBA campaign — and he’s doing the same at the 2024 Olympics.

    As Team France squared off with Team Japan on Tuesday, the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama was improbably lined up against 5-foot-6 guard Yuki Togashi in a 94-90 overtime victory for the French squad.

    The matchup, pitting the Games’ tallest and shortest players against one another, made for a viral moment on social media.

    No edits, just 55 centimetres of height difference between these two 😳 #Paris2024 x #Basketball pic.twitter.com/isetDmUK6G

    — FIBA (@FIBA) July 30, 2024
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2gc5jY_0uicnXlJ00
    Victor Wembanyama of France towers over Yuki Kawamura of Japan. REUTERS

    A look at the compelling rivalries that will shape the Paris Olympics

    Not shockingly, Wembanyama led the way in France’s win with 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes.

    Meanwhile, Togashi scored just three points on 1 of 6 shooting in nearly 12 minutes of play.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2UIcvN_0uicnXlJ00
    Victor Wembanyama and France beat Japan in their group stage game. REUTERS

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    The 20-year-old phenom’s prowess is carrying over from his first NBA campaign in which he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game en route to winning Rookie of the Year and finishing as the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up.

    That top-tier ability applies to height, too; Wembanyama is tied with the Rockets’ Boban Marjanovic as the tallest in the league at 7-foot-4.

    Alongside the Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert and other NBA veterans in Nicolas Batum and ex-Knicks Evan Fournier and Frank Ntilikina, the French have gone a perfect 2-0 in Group B play.

    Wembanyama and Team France will battle Germany in their final group-stage game on Friday.

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    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0k0SYb_0uicnXlJ00
    Victor Wembanyama of France in action with Yuki Kawamura. REUTERS
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4dByED_0uicnXlJ00
    Wembanyama and the French are a perfect 2-0 in their home country. Getty Images

    Meanwhile, Japan — with Rui Hachimura, ex-Net Yuta Watanabe and Pacers rookie Keisei Tominaga — is now 0-2 and will square off with Brazil on Friday.

    Playing in his native France, the 2024 Summer Games are the Olympic debut of Wembanyama, although he was previously a member of the country’s national team during EuroBasket 2022 and FIBA competitions in 2019 and 2021.

    In fact, the sensation set a FIBA single-tournament blocks per game record in 2021, the same year he battled Chet Holmgren and Team USA in the finals of the U19 World Cup.

    For the latest in sports, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/sports/

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