Why Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Sanderson met after a Utah Jazz game
All it took for Victor Wembanyama to meet his favorite author was for his San Antonio Spurs to play the Utah Jazz.
After the Spurs-Jazz game in Salt Lake City on March 27, the NBA superstar met up with Brandon Sanderson, who is a star in his own right.
Sanderson described the meeting in multiple social media posts shared Wednesday.
“I did get to see Wemby play when he came by Utah last month,” the author wrote on Instagram. “He made time for us after the game, and was just as gracious and eloquent as everyone says. ... What a class act.”
The photo that Sanderson shared shows the two men smiling as the author holds a Wembanyama jersey.
Wembanyama described his love of Sanderson’s books and reading in general during an interview with the Sporting News in January, as the Deseret News previously reported.
He praised Sanderson’s world-building skills, noting that he’s read several of his books since discovering them in 2022.
“Sanderson is everything I look for when I read,” Wembanyama said to Sporting News.
Wembanyama also shared in the interview that reading helps him “escape from the real world,” including the pressures of basketball.
The 7′4″ rookie is carrying lofty expectations on his shoulders, and carrying them well. He’s averaging 21.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game this season, according to ESPN.
In his Instagram post, Sanderson, who lives in American Fork, Utah, said it was “awesome” to watch Wembanyama play.
The Spurs beat the Jazz 118-111 that night, as the Deseret News previously reported.
