On Thursday, the 2023 NBA Draft will take place, and French phenom Victor Wembanyama is expected to be taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 1 pick.
Standing at least 7-foot-3, he is widely expected to become not only the league’s next superstar but also a generational talent, the likes of which come around very rarely.
In a recent game for Metropolitans 92, his team in France, he converted a put-back jam to win a game, and the NBA promoted this big play to get fans ready for his entry into the league.
Wemby game-winning putback dunk ‼
The 2023 #NBADraft Presented by State Farm is on Thursday, June 22 at 8pm/et on ABC & ESPN.pic.twitter.com/Pss5tcyfrF
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 19, 2023
Wembanyama isn’t just an excellent rebounder and shot-blocker — he’s also a pretty fluid ball-handler who has an improving touch from the perimeter.
He still has lots of room for improvement — his efficiency from the outside is still poor — but at age 19, he should have time to reach his potential.
Meanwhile, the Spurs not only have the opportunity to become relevant again, but to also establish something of a tradition of star big men.
In the early and mid-1980s, they had Artis Gilmore, a Hall-of-Fame center who was known for blocking shots.
They had the good fortune of drafting David Robinson with the No. 1 pick in the 1987 draft, and he was one of the league’s best centers in the early and mid-1990s.
Once Robinson started to decline late in the decade, Tim Duncan, the No. 1 pick in the 1997 draft, moved in and helped lead the Spurs to five NBA titles.
All eyes will be on Wembanyama this fall to see if he is worthy of all the hype he has received.
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