The long-anticipated 2023 NBA Draft occurred Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The 77th edition of the annual event included some of the biggest names in basketball, all gracing the red-carpeted occasion. Among them was French prodigy and power forward Victor Wembanyama, selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick in the Draft.
However, the Frenchman was nearly upstaged by another family member at the glitzy ceremony: 21-year-old Eve Wembanyama, whom the NBA world met for the first time in an ESPN interview when the reporter turned to his family as an emotional Victor composed himself.
The French center became the most nailed-on first pick since LeBron James back in 2003, the third player in franchise history to be selected at the top of the Draft and the most promising hooper of the last two decades.
But who is the woman who has captured the hearts of NBA Twitter? Eve, the beautiful older sister of the 7-foot-4 basketball sensation, has been dubbed “the true first-round draft pick.” An athlete in her own right, Eve quickly caught the attention of many who fawned over one of Victor’s biggest supporters.
“Can we hear more from Victor Wembanyama’s sister, please?” another asked.
“Victor Wembanyama’s sister, Eve. That’s it. That’s the tweet,” another tweeted.
One fan said she was “about to break the internet.”
While her 19-year-old brother is arguably the most hyped NBA Draft prospect of all time, his French hooper sister turned heads in a daring black suit paired with a gold statement necklace and a bold, bright red lip during the NBA’s showpiece event. The brother-sister duo attended the starry ceremony with 16-year-old brother Oscar Wembanyama, father Felix Wembanyama and mother Elodie de Fautereau.
The overnight celebrity is a successful basketball player, playing overseas in Europe. Eve frequently posts photos both in action on the court and pictures of her everyday styles.
She boasts a significant following on social media, gaining thousands more followers after going viral during an ESPN interview where she offered her heartfelt praise to her brother.
“It’s amazing. We are all so proud,” she said. “We are very happy for you, we are happy for the family, for the friends, for everything, for the basketball — it’s so amazing.”
Eve later shared a montage of pictures from New York.
“Can’t believe this ain’t a dream,” she captioned the post.
The former EuroLeague Women’s star stands at 6-foot-1 and currently plays for the Monaco Basket Association in the second-tier LF2 league. While more than a foot shorter than her younger brother, she can clearly hold her own on the court as a skilled point guard, averaging 6.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season.
Eve has played many three-on-three events, including the FIBA U20 Women’s European Challengers, where she represented France. In 2016, the female baller even helped France win the bronze medal in the FIBA-U16 Women’s European Championship. In 2020, the curly-haired brunette also competed for the LDLC ASVEL Feminine Club of the EuroLeague Women League.
It would seem basketball runs in the Wembanyama family genes. Victor and Eve’s mom, Elodie, has under her belt both a professional basketball career and one as a coach. Even their grandfather comes from a basketball background, having played in the 1960s. It’s no surprise the family is making waves in the basketball world.
Now the French teen has started a journey that may take him to become one of the NBA’s all-time greats, with many expecting him to lead San Antonio into a new era as serious contenders.
Life for Eve and the rest of the family is set to monumentally change now too, whether she plays basketball in France or courtside in Texas later this year. With the explosion of interest in her French phenom brother, watching him play will soon be the hottest ticket in town.
