Wembanyama’s threes: physics, biomechanics, and repeatable form

physics and – Victor “Wemby” Wembanyama’s towering height has never been the full story behind his deep three-pointers—experts say his body mechanics, release point, and even the flexibility that supports joint range of motion help turn distance into something repeatable.

When Victor “Wemby” Wembanyama steps into the arc. it can feel like the shot is already late—released just as the math on the scoreboard turns unforgiving. In the first game of the best-of-seven NBA Western Conference Finals earlier this month. he hit a deep three to tie the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) with less than a minute remaining on the clock in overtime. The Spurs won in double overtime.

It’s the kind of moment fans replay because it looks impossible. And in the ongoing playoffs. Wembanyama’s three-point shooting has been on full display. with the Spurs forward-center often attempting five or more three-point shots per game. Ahead of the Spurs and OKC’s Game 6 match on Thursday. Scientific American spoke with experts in physics and biomechanics about the science behind his epic shots—starting with a question that sounds simple until you try to answer it: how does the tallest player in the NBA keep hitting all those threes?.

Larry Silverberg. an emeritus professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University. points to how many variables have to align for a three-point shot to fall. “He’s just launching that thing. ” Silverberg says. noting that the tallest players in the NBA typically aren’t known for taking such deep shots. “It’s extremely unique,” he says. A lot goes into a three: the player’s height. the size of their hands and arms. and the mechanics of their movement. There’s also the ball’s aim, along with its backspin, speed, and angle of release. Success, the experts say, is what happens when those details all come together.

All things being equal, height is usually treated as an advantage. Taller players are physically closer to the basket ring. which stands at 10 feet above the ground. and they are harder for smaller players to block. Silverberg explains the logic with a thought experiment involving Stephen Curry. one of the best three-point shooters of all time: if Curry were seven feet. four inches instead of six feet. two inches. he’d likely have an even greater shooting advantage.

But a 2008 study by Silverberg and a co-author complicates the story in a different way: free-throw shooters who release the ball from a higher starting point likely have greater accuracy—“as long as this does not adversely affect the player’s launch consistency.” That phrase lands with the sting of real sport: being able to shoot from farther doesn’t matter if the movement becomes unreliable.

Dimitrije Cabarkapa. a former collegiate basketball player and associate director of the Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory at the University of Kansas—which is part of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance. a research institute dedicated to improving human health—says height doesn’t automatically translate into consistent long-range shooting. He ties some of that to development: NBA big guys are often not encouraged to specialize in shooting threes at an early age. And sometimes the issue is individual coordination and mechanics.

For many tall players, the shooting problem can start with the body itself. Amy Pope. a principal lecturer in physics and astronomy at Clemson University. says that long arms can make the shooting motion harder to coordinate consistently. Wembanyama, though, appears to bypass that common trap. “When Victor Wembanyama shoots a successful three-pointer, what stands out to me is his body mechanics,” Pope says. “His torso stays nearly vertical.”.

Pope contrasts that with the biomechanics of shorter shooters who often need a stronger upward jump and more forward momentum to reach the same range. In Wembanyama’s case. Pope argues that his release point is so high that he does not need a large boost from his legs. which gives his motion a straight-ahead look. All he needs for the right exit velocity is “a small vertical jump.”.

That repeatable alignment—height plus control—shows up in more than one way. Pope adds that Wembanyama’s mechanics are impressive because he uses his height and length to his advantage while keeping the rest of his motion controlled, balanced, and repeatable.

His flexibility may be part of why. Cabarkapa and his colleagues describe three-point shooting as starting from the “bottom up.” The work begins with where the body sits: “You’ve got to put your butt closer to the ground. keep your torso in near vertical position and make sure that your elbow is tucked under the basketball.” The setup also depends on “flexion. ” or bend. in the hips. knees. and ankles. Cabarkapa explains the consequence of limited movement plainly: if a player doesn’t have proper range of motion in the knee or hip joint. they may not be able to achieve enough flexion in those joints—necessary to generate force and perform an efficient shooting motion.

There’s also the part that doesn’t show up on a diagram: the decision to take the shot from even farther out. Silverberg points to Wembanyama’s mindset. “Wembanyama’s mechanics are impressive because he uses his height and length to his advantage while keeping the rest of his motion controlled. balanced and repeatable. ” Pope said—but Silverberg adds a different dimension to the same scene. “[Wembanyama] knows he’s seven-foot-four,” Silverberg says. “He knows that people generally are not going to block him, but he goes the extra mile.”.

Silverberg describes how Wembanyama takes the logic beyond the obvious. “He says, ‘I’m going to take it from even further out,’” Silverberg says. “Besides being tall. agile and skilled. he’s even being a little bit creative there by deciding to work on a shot that nobody else would. I think that’s pretty neat.”.

That mix—physics, body control, joint range, and a willingness to push distance—helps explain why Wembanyama’s threes don’t just look like luck. They look like a system he can run.

Whichever team wins the Spurs and OKC series will take on the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals in June. For the Spurs, that matters because games can swing on the smallest late-clock details. For Wembanyama, it means the science isn’t just academic. It’s the difference between a moment that seems unreal—and one that keeps happening.

Victor Wembanyama Wemby three-point shooting NBA playoffs physics of basketball biomechanics release point range of motion flexion Steven Curry height advantage Larry Silverberg Amy Pope Dimitrije Cabarkapa