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WATCH: First overall pick Victor Wembanyama got emotional when talking about what being drafted meant to him
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated5 hours ago on April 27, 2024
The worst-kept secret of the 2023 NBA Draft was the Spurs taking Victor Wembanyama first overall. It would have been extremely hard for them to pass on an elite prospect like himself. Wembanyama has known for a while now that he was going to be taken first overall. Still, the 19-year-old French sensation was emotional in a post-draft interview. He was overjoyed to hear his name called during the draft last night.
For well over a year now, we’ve known that Victor Wembanyama was going to be the first pick. Teams had to wait for the draft lottery to see who would get the chance to take him. The San Antonio Spurs got the one-in-a-lifetime chance to draft Wembanyama and they were not quiet about it.
Wembanyama joins a Spurs team that is in a clear rebuilding phase. The 19-year-old is now their franchise cornerstone and he’ll have big shoes to fill. San Antonio has had two other #1 overall picks in the last 35 years. Both were massive pieces in building the Spurs into the dynasty they are today.
“Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver, I’ve dreamed of it so much.”
—Victor Wembanyama and his siblings were emotional after he was drafted No. 1 overall pic.twitter.com/YRlkTcMpbl
— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2023
Victor Wembanyama was struck with emotion after being taken first overall by the Spurs
In a pre-draft interview with ESPN’s JJ Reddick, Wembanyama said the franchise he wanted to be drafted to was San Antonio. As a French basketball player, Wembanyama was a fan of Tony Parker and Boris Diaw who played for the Spurs. The 19-year-old has had connections with the Spurs franchise well before the draft. It was truly a perfect fit for both parties.
The reason that Wembanyma has so much pressure is the pre-draft hype he’s had. Wembanyama is one of the most unique prospects to enter the NBA draft. Not many players his size can do the same moves he can on the court. A seven-foot-five PF/C should not be able to shoot and dribble like him.
NBA scouts and draft analysts have widely regarded him as the best draft prospect to enter the league since LeBron James 20 years ago. Wembanyama will be under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich. He’s been with the Spurs for all five of their titles and will look for Wembanyama to be their next great star.
