Victor Wembanyama captured by the San Antonio Spurs with the first pick of NBA Draft
Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 Frenchman who some NBA commentators say could be a generational talent, was the San Antonio Spurs’ No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The past two times, the five-time NBA champions had the top pick, they also selected big men – David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. Both had Hall of Fame careers and earned championship rings.
Unlike many players of his size, Wembanyama is not a prototypical NBA center. While the 19-year-old can be defensively dominant, he is able to dribble the ball like a point guard and shoot efficiently from 3-point range.
“It’s a tough competition,” Wembanyama tearfully told draft broadcaster ESPN after being selected. “I’m going to try to learn as soon as possible because I want to win that ring.”
Wembanyama said he had dreamed so many times of hearing NBA commissioner Adam Silver call his name that he cried when the moment came.
Wembanyama has spent the past three seasons playing in France’s LNB Pro A, the country’s highest professional level, with the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92. He led the league in scoring, rebounding and blocks on his way to becoming the youngest regular-season MVP in Pro A history.
In 34 regular season games with the Mets 92, he averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.0 blocks per game.
He is one of the most acclaimed teens to join the NBA since LeBron James was the top pick in the 2003 draft.
“Because of all the hype, he’s going to have a target on his back. So more than O’s and X’s, to begin with, we will be interested in creating an environment where he feels comfortable where he can be Victor,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said at a press conference about expectations for Wembanyama .
“He’s not LeBron (James) or Tim (Duncan) or Kobe (Bryant) or anybody. He’s Victor, and that’s who we want him to be.”
Bleacher Report predicts what teams will do with their rosters
HORNETS FINISHES SECOND PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Charlotte Hornets selected forward Brandon Miller from the University of Alabama with the second pick. As a freshman, the 6-foot-9 Miller was named the Southeastern Conference player of the year after leading the conference in 3-pointers per game while leading the nation as the highest scoring freshman.
He finished the season as the first player in SEC history to win player of the year, freshman of the year, and all SEC tournaments in the same season.
The 21-year-old made headlines out of court when he was declared a “cooperative witness” in a deadly January shooting near the school’s campus. Miller was not charged with a crime and, according to Alabama, he was not considered a suspect.
When asked on Thursday what he’s going to bring Charlotte, he said: “I know they already have great players there. For me I can just bring a winner. I’m willing to make all the winning plays both on and off the field .”
G-League player Scoot Henderson, a 6-foot-2 guard, was the third pick and went to the Portland Trail Blazers.
They’re getting a dog. They get a dog that comes in and is hungry,” he told ESPN, adding that he wants to make an impact off the field. “They get a special player; a special person.”
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TWINS GO TO NO. 4 AND NO. 5
The Houston Rockets also went the non-college route, choosing Amen Thompson, who played with his twin brother Ausar at Overtime Elite, an independent league for young players based in Atlanta.
Amen Thompson told ESPN, “I’m just excited, excited to be a rocket.”
He said he was looking forward to joining Houston because his “best brand of basketball is running.”
Ausar didn’t wait long after his twin was selected as the Detroit Pistons selected him next. The brothers are the first siblings to be selected in the top five (or even top 10) of the NBA Draft in the same year.
Other twins taken in the first round of the same draft were Marcus and Markieff Morris in 2011 and Brook and Robin Lopez in 2008.
