Victor Wembanyama After Spurs Win 2023 NBA Draft Lottery: 'Trying to Win a Ring ASAP'
There has been no shortage of hype and perhaps even a bit of hyperbole when it comes to Victor Wembanyama before he even steps foot on an NBA court, but he didn't exactly do much to dial it back on Tuesday.
"I'm trying to win a ring ASAP," he said after it was revealed the San Antonio Spurs landed the No. 1 pick and the right to draft him, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. "So get ready."
Wembanyama was also enthusiastic on his Twitter account following the lottery reveal:
If the 7'4" big man lives up to the hype, multiple rings could be the expectation.
"This is the most highly-anticipated player to ever enter the NBA," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said. "This is, maybe not only the greatest prospect in the NBA's history, maybe the greatest prospect in the history of team sports."
Wembanyama led the French Pro A League with averages of 22 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game for the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans but might remain something of a mystery for American fans who didn't get the chance to watch him play in college or the G League.
He won't be a mystery for long when he arrives in the NBA.
The 19-year-old can shoot from the outside, get out in transition and beat defenders off the dribble all while controlling the interior on both ends of the floor as a dominant big man. The overall skill set is one to marvel at for someone his size, and he is going to a team that has a rich history of developing big men.
As Windhorst pointed out, the Spurs selected David Robinson and Tim Duncan the last two times they owned the No. 1 pick of the draft.
Perhaps that history of organizational success is one reason why "the room burst into applause" and Wembanyama "broke into a smile before emotion came over his face as he wiped his eyes at the gravity of the moment" when it was revealed the Spurs won the draft lottery.
Living up to the expectations that will be in place following in the footsteps of Robinson and Duncan is no easy task, but the highly-touted prospect already has his eyes on the sport's greatest prize.
Fans of the five-time champion Spurs will surely be glad to hear it.
