WHEN it comes to the 2023 NBA Draft, there is Victor Wembanyama and then there is everyone else.
Wembanyama is considered a slam dunk to be taken first overall in Thursday’s (Friday in Manila) NBA Draft by a San Antonio Spurs team that would be counting on the French basketball phenom to restore the franchise’s winning culture.
A so-called generational talent who can quickly change the trajectory of a franchise, Wembanyama is the most anticipated and hyped NBA Draft prospect since LeBron James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, in 2003.
The 19-year-old Wembanyama possesses a unique combination of size, athleticism and all-round talent that will make him a match-up nightmare for opposing teams in the NBA where he could one day be considered one of the game’s all-time greats.
“Wembanyama is unique. I’ve never seen anything quite like him on a basketball floor,” ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas said in a conference call.
“At 7’4” with a wingspan of close to eight feet with fluidity and athleticism and mobility, I just can’t fathom a combination quite like that on a basketball floor.”
San Antonio had selected first overall twice before, choosing future Basketball Hall of Famers David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. The duo led the Spurs to two NBA titles while Duncan won three more with San Antonio.
For the Spurs, the chance to select Wembanyama could not have come at a better time given they have missed the playoffs in each of the last four NBA seasons and not advanced past the opening round of the playoffs since 2017.
While the Spurs, who got the opportunity to select first overall after winning the NBA Draft Lottery last month, have not publicly announced who they will pick, their fans are already planning for the arrival of Wembanyama.
According to reports, San Antonio has seen a surge in season ticket sales along with 10 times the amount of web traffic and Spurs app downloads since the lottery results.
The term “unicorn” has been tossed around in NBA circles for years to describe rare prospects who have both the size to dominate as a power forward or center and also the dribbling, passing, shooting and speed that resemble a guard.
