Follow usSan Antonio Spurs won the draft lottery in the NBA. Experts almost unanimously expect Spurs to use the first pick in June for 19-year-old French sensation Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio is no stranger to picking a big star at No. 1. In 1987, the Spurs took David Robinson, and a decade later, the team drafted Tim Duncan.
“For me, the draft will be a night I will remember for the rest of my life. My goal is to win a ring as quickly as possible. I can’t wait to meet the fans of the team that will select me in June.” , said the Frenchman from Paris in an interview with ESPN. Wembanyama stands over 7 feet 2 inches tall and according to draft experts, he is the biggest rising star since LeBron James. “The King” was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the number 1 pick in 2003.
“There’s a special relation between France and the Spurs. … The whole country wanted the Spurs to have the first pick.”
-Victor Wembanyama
(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/PuPdb2KfaD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 17, 2023
“I almost passed out, I’m so happy. The fans and all of San Antonio are super excited,” team general manager Peter J. Holt said in an interview with ESPN.
Wembenyama played his final French league regular season game on Tuesday and scored 22 points for Boulogne-Levallois in a 93-85 win against Paris Basketball. He scored 14 points in the final quarter.
The Charlotte Hornets will pick No. 2 in the draft, followed by the Portland and Houston Rockets. The Detroit Pistons were the third team with a 14 percent chance for the top spot, but will pick fifth instead.
Currently, the leading candidates for the second and third spots are Ignite’s Scoot Henderson (G-League) and Alabama’s Brendan Miller (NCAA), respectively.
Wembanyama unanimously voted Rookie of the season in NBA 
Wembanyama misses Pistons clash, his rookie season ends early 
Spurs stun the Nuggets with a floater 0.9 left on the clock 
