By Marta Alizeh. Last updated: October 9, 2026.
The Victor Wembanyama family story starts two generations before him. His maternal grandfather played centre in France’s first division in the 1960s. His mother played and then coached. His father was a jumper in track and field.
So the San Antonio Spurs centre didn’t arrive from nowhere. He told SLAM that he was free to choose his sport, but that basketball had always been around him at home. Both of his siblings play it too.
What follows sticks to what credible outlets have reported. Where sources disagree, both versions are given.
Quick facts
| Full name | Victor Wembanyama |
| Date of birth | January 4, 2004 (age 22) |
| Birthplace | Le Chesnay, near Versailles, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Listed height | 7 ft 4 in |
| Position | Centre |
| Club | San Antonio Spurs (No. 1) |
| Father | Félix Wembanyama, former track and field jumper |
| Mother | Élodie de Fautereau, former player and youth coach |
| Siblings | Ève (older sister), Oscar (younger brother) |
| Maternal grandparents | Michel and Marie-Christine de Fautereau |
| Family background | French mother; father born in Belgium, of Congolese origin |
| Religion | Not publicly disclosed |
Who is Victor Wembanyama?
Victor Wembanyama is a French professional basketball player, born January 4, 2004, in Le Chesnay. He plays centre for the San Antonio Spurs, who picked him first in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was the unanimous 2024 Rookie of the Year and won Olympic silver with France at Paris 2024. His NBA profile lists him at 7 ft 4 in.
What is Victor Wembanyama’s family background?
Victor Wembanyama’s family background is French on his mother’s side and Congolese on his father’s. His father, Félix, was born in Belgium and is of Congolese origin. His mother, Élodie de Fautereau, is French.
The couple raised three children in Le Chesnay, a town beside Versailles in the Yvelines. All three play basketball.
SLAM noted that the parents avoid the spotlight. That’s why most of what’s known about them comes from Victor’s own interviews.
Who are Victor Wembanyama’s parents?
Victor Wembanyama’s parents are Félix Wembanyama and Élodie de Fautereau. Félix is a former track and field athlete who competed in jumping events. Élodie is a former basketball player who went on to coach youth teams, and she taught Victor the game.
Félix Wembanyama, the father
Félix Wembanyama never played basketball for a living. SLAM describes him as a former triple jumper. Andscape calls him a former high jumper of Congolese descent.
His height is reported two ways. Olympics.com puts him at 2 metres, or about 6 ft 6 in. Andscape lists him at 6 ft 5 in.
What he passed on was technique. Victor told SLAM that his dad taught him the proper way to run, and taught him to juggle at around age seven. He credits Félix with his habit of studying a subject in depth.
Élodie de Fautereau, the mother
Élodie de Fautereau is the basketball parent. SLAM reports that she played professionally and introduced Victor to the sport. She later coached youth teams, and he spent his early childhood following her around the gym.
Her height is also reported two ways. Olympics.com gives 1.92 metres, about 6 ft 3 in. Andscape gives 6 ft 2 in.
Victor has said his mother is the parent he resembles most, in looks and in character. He also called her a little eccentric at times, and he meant it fondly.
Who are Victor Wembanyama’s grandparents?
Victor Wembanyama’s maternal grandparents are Michel and Marie-Christine de Fautereau, and both played basketball. According to SLAM’s cover story, Michel played for Paris University Club in France’s first division in the 1960s.
The magazine describes him as a rugged 6 ft 7 in centre who could dunk. Marie-Christine played as well. For years she drove her husband to his games and collected him afterwards.
That makes Victor the third generation of the family in the sport. His paternal grandparents have not been publicly identified.
Does Victor Wembanyama have siblings?
Victor Wembanyama has two siblings, an older sister named Ève and a younger brother named Oscar. Both are basketball players. Ève won a European youth title with France, and Oscar signed his first professional contract in June 2026.
Ève Wembanyama
Ève Wembanyama plays on the wing. Olympics.com records that she won gold with France at the 2017 FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship.
Her French Wikipedia entry lists youth years at Entente Le Chesnay Versailles and then Lyon ASVEL Féminin. It lists COB Calais in 2023-24 and USO Mondeville in 2024-25. It also says she joined France’s 3×3 squad in 2023. Her club for the current season is not confirmed in the sources checked for this article.
Oscar Wembanyama
Oscar Wembanyama came to basketball late. Eurohoops reports that he played handball as a boy and switched in 2021, at age 14. He trained at Nanterre and then ASVEL before a development spell at SIG Strasbourg.
In June 2026, aged 19 and listed at 2.02 metres, he signed with Denain in France’s second tier for 2026-27. It is his first professional deal.
He doesn’t pretend the surname is easy. “Definitely not easy,” he told Eurohoops of the comparisons. He added that his parents, sister and brother answer his questions and make him feel secure. The same piece says he is preparing for the 2027 NBA Draft.
Where did Victor Wembanyama grow up?
Victor Wembanyama grew up in Le Chesnay, west of Paris. Basketball wasn’t his first sport. Olympics.com says he played football, often in goal, and tried judo before his mother steered him to the court.
He started at seven with his local club, Entente Le Chesnay Versailles. He was spotted at an under-11 game in Versailles, and at ten he joined the youth system at Nanterre. SLAM calls that club his home away from home.
The Paris region keeps producing elite athletes from family homes like this one. Readers can compare Kylian Mbappé’s family background in Bondy and Warren Zaïre-Emery’s family in Montreuil.
How did family shape Victor Wembanyama’s career?
Victor Wembanyama’s family gave him two different educations. His mother supplied the basketball. His father supplied the mechanics of movement. A 7 ft 4 in centre who runs and changes direction like a wing is the product of both.
The path after that was quick. He made his Nanterre first-team debut at 15, moved to ASVEL in 2021 and then to Metropolitans 92. There he was named the French league’s youngest MVP.
San Antonio drafted him first overall on June 22, 2023. He was the first French player ever taken at No. 1.
In 2025-26 he averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks. He was voted Defensive Player of the Year and led the Spurs to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the New York Knicks.
Other young NBA players have a coaching or playing parent behind them too. See Cooper Flagg’s family and Dyson Daniels’s family background.
Interesting facts about Victor Wembanyama’s family
- His father taught him to juggle at around age seven, according to SLAM.
- His grandmother spent years driving his grandfather to and from first-division games.
- His mother once coached the young son of Bouna Ndiaye, who later became Victor’s agent.
- His brother was a handball player until he was 14.
- His sister won a European title with France six years before Victor was drafted.
Frequently asked questions
Who are Victor Wembanyama’s parents?
His parents are Félix Wembanyama, a former track and field jumper, and Élodie de Fautereau, a former basketball player and youth coach.
Does Victor Wembanyama have siblings?
Yes. He has an older sister, Ève, and a younger brother, Oscar. Both play basketball.
Where was Victor Wembanyama born?
He was born on January 4, 2004, in Le Chesnay, a town next to Versailles in the Paris region.
What nationality is Victor Wembanyama?
He is French and plays for the French national team. His father is of Congolese origin.
How tall are Victor Wembanyama’s parents?
Reports vary slightly. His father is listed at 6 ft 5 in or 6 ft 6 in, and his mother at 6 ft 2 in or 6 ft 3 in.
Why is Victor Wembanyama famous?
He was the first pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, the 2024 Rookie of the Year and an Olympic silver medallist with France.
The takeaway
A grandfather in the top flight, a mother with a whistle and a father who cared how a body should move. Each left a mark on the player San Antonio built around.
This article reflects information available on October 9, 2026. It will be revised when real new details emerge about the Victor Wembanyama family.
