Is this the beginning of another dynasty in San Antonio?
The NBA Draft Lottery was aired last night on ESPN, and every basketball fan in the world was tuned in to see which team would get the rights to arguably the best prospect since LeBron James 20 years ago.
Victor Wembanyama, the 7ft 5inch teenage French basketball sensation and the surefire number one pick in next month’s NBA Draft, will be a San Antonio Spur.
The Spurs, along with the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets, entered the night tied for the highest lottery odds at 14% after all three teams finished at the bottom of the Western Conference.
The Charlotte Hornets followed the Spurs at number 2; the Portland Trailblazers at number 3; the Houston Rockets at number 4; and the Detroit Pistons rounded out the top 5.
The Spurs had their worst season in over 22 years, and now after winning the Wembanyama sweepstakes in the draft lottery, the team looks like it’ll be returning to its winning ways in no time.
History is on San Antonio’s side as well.
The San Antonio Spurs had the number 1 pick twice before, and both of those selections went on to become Hall of Famers.
Wembanyama will also be coached by Gregg Popovich, the all-time winningest coach in the NBA regular season. He made the playoffs for 22 straight seasons. Coach Popovich has a history of coaching iconic big men.
The Spurs drafted The Admiral, David Robinson, in 1987, and a decade later in 1997, they drafted The Big Fundamental, Tim Duncan. The duo started the Spurs dynasty by winning two championships together in 1999 and 2003.
David Robinson retired after the second championship, but the Spurs were far from done winning. Tim Duncan would lead the Spurs to three more championships, with its last one being in 2014.
And now Wembanyama has the chance to become the Spurs’ next great big man.
But first off, who is Victor Wembanyama and why is he so hyped?
The 19-year-old from France plays professional basketball for the Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A, the highest-tier level in French basketball.
He can handle the ball like a point guard and create his own shot. Wembanyama can shoot step-back threes like Kevin Durant. And he has an 8-foot wingspan that makes him just as destructive on defense as his predecessor, Tim Duncan.
And don’t forget, he is already 7 feet 5 inches, instantly making him one of the tallest players in the league.
He is the definition of a generational talent. And now it will be up to the Spurs not to waste it.
He can become the anchor for the next San Antonio dynasty. Possibly win multiple championships and MVPs. And etch his name among the NBA’s greatest.
Or he can end up like Kawhi Leonard, the superstar who could not deal with San Antonio and bolted from the team as soon as he could. And become an NBA legend by winning a ring with another team.
So thhe Spurs won the draft lottery with Wembanyama. But if Wembanyama wants out of San Antonio sooner than later, the dreams of a new Spurs dynasty could be over before it ever really begins.