On the cover of L’Equipe Magazine this Saturday, Bilal Coulibaly has a host of choice this Saturday evening: his friend and former teammate Victor The animal. Thousands of kilometers from Paris, the two former Mets 92 players will meet for the first time on an NBA floor. The first as the 6th man of the Wizards, the second as leader and pivot of the Spurs. “I can’t wait to play against him, like when we were little, Victor in Nanterre, me in Courbevoie…” Coulibaly confided in L’Equipe.
For “Wemby”, it’s definitely a shared dream that has come true since the two have been playing against each other, or together, since the age of 13. “Bilal is the only player I have known since I was little. At that time there were just dreams and it seemed crazy. But we managed to do it together, and I’m so proud of him. » For Coulibaly, Wembanyama “was not just a teammate, but a brother. »
From the French championship final to the depths of the NBA rankings
For both, this season is the antithesis of last season. With Boulogne-Levallois, they had shaken up the Betclic Elite to secure a place in the championship final. In the NBA, the two have a series of defeats, and their season will end in April. They will watch the playoffs on television.
“It’s a championship that no one knows and that no one will probably ever know,” believes Wembanyama about this epic, “but it’s wonderful for kids, because it really means a lot.”
Two kids standing up to adults
At 19 and 20 years old, Coulibaly and Wembanyama meet expectations, each on their own scale. “I’m happy to prove that I’m not that young. I can play against adults” launches the young back of the Wizards. Same speech from his “brother”, who is the target every evening of opposing defenses. “Every game, every night, it’s a crazy battle. I would have thought that some teams would relax sometimes, or be less focused, but that’s not the case at all! » explains the French pivot in the San Antonio Express News.
Tonight at Capital One Arena, Wembanyama will challenge one of the weakest teams in the NBA. Particularly under the panels, and we can expect him to sign a big card. But no doubt Coulibaly will slip a few tricks to Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley to slow him down. To be continued from 1:00 a.m. on beIN SPORTS.
2024-01-20 15:05:19
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