The Spurs made a historic move this offseason by choosing Victor Wembanyama, a 7’4″ French generational talent, as their top pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Following a challenging 2022-23 season in which the Spurs only secured 22 victories out of 82 games, the franchise is eager to elevate its game, having acquired the most highly-rated prospect since LeBron James.

The San Antonio Spurs have a history of drafting high-caliber centers. In 1987, the Spurs drafted David Robinson, a 7′ 1″ center who played a hall-of-fame career. Robinson is a 2x NBA Champion, 10x NBA All-Star, 2 Olympic Gold Medals, 1995 NBA MVP, and 4x NBA Defensive first team. In 1997, the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan, a 6 ’11” power forward out of Wake Forest, who is arguably one of the greatest forwards of all time. Tim Duncan is a 5x NBA Champion, 3x Finals MVP, 2x MVP, 15x All-Star, 15x ALL-NBA, and 15x All-First team. With the Spurs’ promising history of developing centers, Wembanyama looks to be their next project.

Wembanyama became the 13th foreign player to be drafted first overall, coming from the Metropolitans 92 out of France, an NBL team that consistently produces young talent from Europe. Wembanyama averaged 21.4 ppg and added an impressive 11 rebounds with 3.5 blocks a game. Wembanyama was only 18 years old when he became the MVP of the NBL (National Basketball League) after scoring 30+ Points in 8 consecutive games. Wembanyama was named the youngest LNB Pro MVP, securing his status as one of our generation’s most hyped-up prospects.

Wembanyama’s impressive resume caught the attention of the San Antonio Spurs, where the organization plans to build the team’s future around him. Wembanyama’s pre-season stats showed his worth in the NBA. He averaged 19.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 2.8 BPG in only 20 minutes per game. His NBA regular season debut showcases on October 25th against the Dallas Mavericks as Wembanyama and the Spurs seek to open the 2023-2024 season with a win. The skies are the limit for Wembanyama as he begins his NBA career.