The giant Victor Wembanyama, a 19-year-old French center, was chosen as No. 1 in the NBA draft at dawn yesterday. It was already predictable, but official confirmation was lacking, which came when his name was announced at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn by Commissioner Adam Silver. “It’s been my dream since I was a boy. I’m crying. This is probably the best night of my life,” he said touched, surrounded by his family.
The destination, it is known, will be the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise led by Gregg Popovich, who had secured the first pick in the draft in the draw last month, something that had only happened twice: David Robinson (1987) and Tim Duncan (1997).
As soon as it was announced that Wembanyama was the first choice, French President Emmanuel Macron took to Twitter to congratulate the player: “The first Frenchman who was the first choice in the NBA version. Change the game.”
The boy born in the suburbs of Paris, considered the player with the greatest future in the NBA, will finally be able to fulfill his dream of taking on Kevin Durant, player of the Phoenix Suns, a wish he made hours before the outcome of the draft was known. Other idols of the Frenchman are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Another great source of inspiration is compatriot and former NBA player Tony Parker.
Born in Le Chesnay, in the suburbs of Paris, Wemby, as he is also known, comes from a family of athletes: his father, Felix Wembanyama, was a long jumper and his mother, Elodie, a basketball player and trainer. . At first, Victor leaned towards football, as a goalkeeper, but he soon realized that his future was through the baskets.
Discovered by a scout in Nanterre at the age of 11, he made his debut at the age of 15 in the main team of the French emblem, in the Euroleague 2019. Metropolitans 92, in Paris, where he was elected MVP, was part of of the team of the year and received several trophies.
Victor’s physique is impressive. He measures 2.21 meters barefoot (2.24 with sneakers), weighs over 100 kilos and wears a size 55. He is among the tallest players in NBA history, alongside names like Mark Eaton, Shawn Bradley , Rik Smits, Manute Bol, Yao Ming and Ralph Sampson.
Despite never having played in the NBA, his name has long circulated in the franchises of the best basketball league in the world. LeBron James even called him an alien and also received huge praise from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant. Nothing puts more pressure on you: “The big secret is to never lose sight of your goals. I have very high expectations. And I am so determined to fulfill them that other people’s expectations don’t bother me.” “Ever since I learned how the draft worked, I always wanted to be first. I think I started to realize that I could become a professional player at the age of 12,” he added.
a modern gamer
Wembanyama’s election was, according to experts, the most anticipated since LeBron James in 2003. And everyone, without exception, points to a promising future for him, as he is a player who fits perfectly into modern basketball in the NBA, in which the pivots are no longer limited to duels under the baskets, but also show other types of characteristics, such as medium and long range shots, and class in defense and mobility. And the Frenchman has all these virtues, despite being unusual for a player of his stature.
Now the giant Victor is going to work at the behest of the historic coach Gregg Popovich, who, despite being pleased, wants the player to have both feet on the ground, putting a brake on the euphoria. “We’re going to try not to skip any steps. What interests us most is creating an environment where he feels at home, comfortable, where he can be Victor. We can’t force players to be what we think they should be are. LeBron (James) not Tim (Duncan) not Kobe (Bryant). He’s Victor and that’s what we want him to be. So we’ll do what we’ve done in the past with all the players. We’ll be there to advise, suggest, answer questions, be available,” he said.
Source: DN
