Victor Wembanyama Feels 'Lucky' Spurs Got No. 1 Draft Pick: 'Synonymous with Winning'

The San Antonio Spurs' sustained run of success under head coach Gregg Popovich is one reason Victor Wembanyama was happy to see them win the 2023 NBA draft lottery.

"To me, San Antonio is synonymous with winning," he told reporters Wednesday.

The 19-year-old added he felt "lucky" considering the general structure the Spurs have put in place over the years that helped their players thrive.

Transcendent talents can rise above their surroundings in the NBA.

The Chicago Bulls weren't exactly a picture of stability before Michael Jordan arrived in 1984, having missed the playoffs in seven of their previous nine years. The same was true of the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose regular postseason runs across the late 1980s and into the '90s felt a lifetime ago when LeBron James came aboard in 2003. With the Minnesota Timberwolves, there's a clear delineation between the periods when Kevin Garnett was and wasn't on the roster.

In the case of Wembanyama, he has been working toward this moment for years, both in terms of his on-court work and building the requisite habits away from the court. You could probably throw him into the most toxic situation in the NBA, and he'll find a way to succeed.

That shouldn't be an issue whatsoever in San Antonio, an organization that nurtured the development of David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs were also ahead of the curve in identifying how the international game was an untapped resource for talent.

Among the teams that had a reasonable chance to land Wembanyama, they were arguably the ideal fit.

The French standout may not have been the only one thankful of how the lottery balls fell, either.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported in May there was "a huge sigh of relief" from "the NBA industry as a whole, as many rival executives pointed out that it was extremely important for the health of the league that Wembanyama land in a place where he can reach his full potential."