LeBron James is the gold standard for all NBA draft comparisons. There have now been countless young rookies who have tried to live up to that standard, and while some have done much more than others, it seems to be too much for certain players who can’t handle the pressure. James is one of the greatest players to ever step foot on an NBA floor. Enter Victor Wembanyama, who has been called one of the greatest prospects of all time.
On a podcast with JJ Reddick, Victor was asked if there is pressure on him from being compared to greats like LeBron James and be called the best prospect ever. Victor humbly replied, “Yeah yeah true no pressure from that and it’s not like a reward when they say that you know.” It is surprising to know that Wembanyama is not letting the pressure get to him even at a young age.
Gregg Popovich was seen visiting a Spurs fan who was painting a mural of Victor Wembanyama
The San Antonio Spurs hold the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and thereby hold the rights to drafting Victor Wembanyama. Ever since the public got the first glimpses of Victor’s game, when he was playing in France there has been no doubt that he would be selected number one overall by any franchise.
Victor is a prospect of such magnitude, that he had franchises such as the Spurs and Pistons trade away almost everything for a chance to draft him. Known as the great “tank” race to get Victor, he had teams actively trying to lose games to obtain a worse record this season, to get elevated chances of receiving the first-overall pick.
Gregg Popovich pulled up to a Spurs fan painting a mural of Victor Wembanyama 🎨
(via colton_valentine_/IG) pic.twitter.com/Jv0w6qtLFD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 21, 2023
In a stroke of luck or fate, the first pick fell to the San Antonio Spurs. A franchise with a storied history of dominant big men and impactful international players. There’s no other franchise that would be of better fit for Wembanyama and most importantly, he will be under one of the greatest coaches of all-time Gregg Popovich. Spurs fans will hope Coach Pop will be able to replicate the same magic he created with Tim Duncan with Wembanyama.
The irony in this situation is that there were reports that Coach Popovich was set to retire this offseason, but those plans were immediately quashed the minute the Spurs received the first overall pick. It seems Coach Pop is so excited to be working with Wembanyama that he was seen with a Spurs fan who was painting a mural of Victor Wembanyama. This all but confirms the Spurs’ intentions at the 2023 NBA draft.