The San Antonio Spurs are about to be relevant again, as they have taken French phenom Victor Vembanyama with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
It’s been many years since Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard were gone, but it looks like the happy days are about to return for the team.
Head coach Gregg Popovich, arguably the best in the business, is still there, and he had some good news for fans eager to see the Phenom play as soon as possible.
According to Tim McMahon, Popovich said that Wembanyama would play in the upcoming summer league.
Greg Popovich Says Victor Vembanyama “Will Participate in Summer League. To what extent, we are not sure yet.” It was noted that the French league playoffs had just ended.
— Tim McMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 23, 2023
Vembanayama would give San Antonio an opportunity to establish a tradition of outstanding big men that dates back to Duncan’s arrival in 1997.
A decade before that, he drafted David Robinson with the No. 1 pick, and after a stint in Navy he put the Spurs on the map after debuting in the 1989–90 season.
Even before that, the Spurs had an All-Star-caliber center, Artis Gilmore, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame during the early and mid-1980s.
Vembanayama couldn’t possibly have asked for a better situation to start an incredible NBA career.
Many have described him as a generational talent, and some have even gone so far as to say that he is the greatest prospect in league history, surpassing even LeBron James or Shaquille O’Neal.
The French standout is still a work in progress, but it appears he has all the tools needed to someday become arguably the best player in basketball.
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Fans react to Victor Vembanyama being named the overall No. 1 pick