LAS VEGAS — It's palpable, the instant when a legend lives up to its lore. When a 7-foot-4 French phenom — the most heralded international basketball prospect since Yao Ming two decades earlier — crosses the ocean and rains 3-pointers before 200 NBA scouts and the entire basketball world.
Partizan Nis Belgrade v Boulogne Metropolitans 92 - EuroCup Basketball
Such a turnaround may have been sparked by the sage wisdom of a 6-foot-8 veteran teammate as much as Wembanyama’s otherworldly gifts. While the interwebs erupted at the last name above his number 15 Metropolitans 92 jersey, Steeve Ho You Fat believes he whispered the secret that spurred Wembanyama’s second-half eruption.
“Chinese people don’t like to mix [marriages]. I’m Black, it’s a Chinese name, so it’s not easy to talk about that,” Ho You Fat said. “But that’s it. I’m proud of my name, I’m proud of who I am. I’m proud of my dad and my mom.” He left home at 14, setting sail for France and his basketball dream. A female coach, Murielle Morin, had recognized the potential harbored within his gangly frame before that. She trained him unbeknownst to Ivan, who desired for his son to play soccer instead.
He has played all over France, including two stints for the famed club Cholet Basket. His career-best season came in 2018-19, scoring 15.6 points per game for ALM Evreux Basket in French LNB Pro B. Ho You Fat stands nearly a foot shorter than his wunderkind teammate, but is old enough to be the youngster’s father. He is the only member of the Metropolitans roster born before 1990.