Victor Wembanyama Praised by Luka Dončić After Debut: 'He's Going to Be Amazing'

Count Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić among those who was impressed by San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama in Wednesday's season-opener.

Speaking with reporters following Dallas' 126-119 win over San Antonio, Dončić gushed about the French phenom's potential.

"He's going to be amazing," Dončić said, per NBA insider Marc Stein. "He already is. ... He moves incredible. He moves like a point guard almost."

Dončić added: "It was fun. We knew the whole building was going to be loud. He's probably one of the best prospects to enter the NBA. It was fun. For me, personally, I love challenges. So, that was a fun challenge."

Wembanyama had a solid debut with the Spurs, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 23 minutes on the court. He made 6-of-9 shots from the floor and 3-of-5 shots from deep.

The 19-year-old was limited due to foul trouble and was eventually subbed out in the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul. He returned to the court in the fourth quarter and did not disappoint in crunch time, scoring nine of his 15 points in the final frame.

"One of the toughest things for a player is you get into foul trouble," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after the win. "You never get in a rhythm and you're in and out of the game and that sort of thing. So, I thought his maturity showed even at a young age where he came in with the last, I think, seven minutes and just played."

Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, has reignited the Spurs and their fanbase with his superstar potential. He had already been dubbed the best prospect since LeBron James leading up to the draft and now he has an incredible amount of pressure on his shoulders to succeed.

If he can wrap up the foul trouble, he'll be well on his way to becoming one of the most productive rookies the NBA has seen in years.

Wembanyama and the Spurs will be back in action on Friday against the Houston Rockets looking for their first win of the season.