Wembanyama is a talented scorer and shot blocker who handles the ball like a guard and has an eight-foot wingspan. San Antonio has missed the postseason four straight years, and Wembanyama comes as a potential savior who could take the franchise back to championship heights. All this means I can have a good impact on the world.”Īfter Duncan won five championships in his 19-year career, Spurs have endured tougher times since retiring in 2016. And I’m going to give a lot of love to that fandom. “What awaits me? From what I’ve seen from San Antonio fans here in New York, I know I’m going to get a lot of affection. “I’ve been to Texas before, but never to San Antonio,” Wembanyama said. Wembanyama, who was the first French player ever to be picked first, was accompanied by several family members who had made the transatlantic voyage.
The evening belonged to the tallest man in the building, who signed autographs for young fans before the celebrations began, who chanted his name and bantered with former NBA player Joakim Noah, son of French tennis star Yannick Noah.Ī large group of Spurs fans, wearing custom Wembanyama t-shirts, waving signs with his nickname “Wemby” and chanting his name, traveled from Texas to witness the potentially franchise-changing event. The Portland Trail Blazers picked Scoot Henderson, a guard who spent two seasons with the G-League Ignite development program, with the third. The Charlotte Hornets selected Brandon Miller, a freshman forward from Alabama, as their second pick. Wembanyama joins Hall of Fame centers David Robinson and Tim Duncan in helping make San Antonio one of the NBA’s most consistent winners in the 1990s and 2000s. 1 pick in Thursday’s draft, making the unerring, 7-foot-10-foot tall candidate the third-best overall pick in franchise history. To the surprise of no one and the delight of an unusually vociferous crowd, the San Antonio Spurs picked Wembanyama as the No.
Of course, the 19-year-old center, who comes to the United States as one of the most coveted and hyped young basketball talents in history, didn’t need to read past the top of the list.
The French phenomenon, dressed in a dark green suit and with a shiny pendant around his neck, took a long look at a video board showing the names of the 30 teams selected in the first round. NEW YORK - Victor Wembanyama arrived early for his big day, taking the stage at the Barclays Center nearly three hours before the start of the NBA draft.
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