'That's Why We Are Here': If Victor Wembanyama Was 'The Wave,' The NBA Is Riding It

French prospect Zaccharie Risacher being taken No. 1 overall by the Atlanta Hawks marked the second straight season a Frenchman was taken tops, and the beginning of a new era of France-made NBA talent.

Jun 24, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs draft pick Victor Wembanyama stands with family during a video presentation at a press conference at Frost Bank Center. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

There may no longer be a French Revolution the way that history books define it, but there is certainly one coursing through the NBA. Back then, the 10-year period culminated in a changing of France's political landscape for good. This time, it's changing the basketball landscape.

And at the forefront of it all? San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

When he was just a touted prospect perusing the streets of France, the 7-foot-4 wunderkind was clearly set to make a splash whenever he hit the court professionally. That's why he garnered so much attention even at Metropolitans 92 and why draft experts couldn't get enough of him ahead of last year's big event.

READ MORE: Victor Wembanyama's Former Club, Metropolitans 92, Goes Bankrupt

"This year was a really special year for me," Wembanyama said ahead of being drafted. "It was my last year in France, and I was playing for a team that was second place all year. I've never had this amount of responsibility on a basketball court; I had to push a lot of guys up and make them as good as possible."

Oct 4, 2022; Henderson, NV, USA; Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 forward Victor Wembanyama (1) looks on during the game against the NBA G League Ignite at The Dollar Loan Center. / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

He wasn't the first Frenchman to find his way into the NBA. He wasn't even a spearhead of the NBA's foreign talent surge that featured stars like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he did represent something greater.

Wembanyama changed the way France was viewed in the NBA.

"There's a special relationship between France and the Spurs because of Tony (Parker) and also Boris (Diaw)," Wembanyama said of France's relationship with the league. "I know half of the country, if not the whole country wanted the Spurs to have the first pick."

That was true. When Wembanyama was officially selected with the No. 1 overall pick, France rejoiced. San Antonio rejoiced.

He was finally "here."

"Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver," Wembanyama said, in-between tears and beside his siblings on the draft stage. "I've dreamed of it so much. Hearing that, I've just got to cry. ... I've [just] accomplished something I've been dreaming of my whole life."

In that moment, it was clear what the NBA meant to Wembanyama. It was clear how much passion he had for basketball and for embracing the change that came with playing in the United States.

READ MORE: Behind Wembanyama's American Adjustment, Impending Return to France

But little did he know how much he would end up meaning to the NBA.

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League commissioner Adam Silver, wearing a simple blue suit and red tie, stepped up to the podium inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York for the first time of the 2024 NBA Draft.

It had been over a year since he did the same thing with the previous year's draft class. That time, his blue suit was garnished with a black tie. But it was one of the few differences between the two events.

As Silver announced the No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, there was a sense of déjà vu. Wembanyama wasn't available this time around, but Risacher's selection marked the second straight year that a French prospect was taken tops. It continued what has seemingly become a new tradition.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Zaccharie Risacher shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

"We are trying to represent our country, and I'm so glad to be a part of it," Risacher said after his selection. "There are more players coming in (from France), and I'm really proud of being a part of the success of my country."

READ MORE: What Makes Victor Wembanyama's France Return So Special?

Wearing his light grey suit and new Atlanta Hawks hat, Risacher joined an exclusive club featuring only him and Wembanyama as the two French prospects to be taken with the No. 1 overall pick. But as "exclusive" as the club might be, the Spurs' young cornerstone has hopes of expanding it.

“If we’ve done it twice in a row, it means we can do it a third and why not a fourth time,” Wembanyama said of France's rising presence in the draft.

It's a long way away to tell what kind of prospects will emerge between now and next year's draft, but even if there isn't a third-straight No. 1 overall pick from France, there will likely be prospects in the following picks that boast a French heritage.

That's what happened this year, after all.

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Just after Silver finished announcing Risacher as the No. 1 overall pick, he once again had to brush up on his French geography, calling out Alex Sarr — the No. 2 pick from Toulouse. Sarr made his way to the stage donning a single-breasted blazer that made up part of his tan monochrome suit.

The suit matched the hat, and made for a nice photo on stage with Adam Silver, but more importantly, Sarr's presence on stage was a historic moment for France. With his No. 2 selection — and later Tidjane Salaun's at No. 6 — the NBA witnessed its first trio of foreign players selected in the top-10 of the same draft.

And all of them were French.

“I’ve known Tidjane and Alex for a long time, we grew up playing against each other,” Risacher said of Sarr and Saluan. “To be able to realize our dream together is special, and I feel like French players are going to take some inspiration.”

Saluan concurred.

“The basketball in France is improved,” Salaun said simply. “That’s why we are here.”

All three players in the top-10 made history in the same way that Wembanyama did a year ago when he became the first French player to be selected No. 1 overall. The French connection went even further than the top-10, however. Pacome Dadiet went to the New York Knicks at No. 25 — the same way that Bilal Coulibaly did at No. 9 one season ago — to round out the French draft representation.

Wembanyama started what's since become a trend. If he was the beginning of the French wave, the NBA is riding it for all it's worth. Now, kids in France have role models to look up to in the league. They have footsteps to follow in and a legacy to upkeep.

They have dreams to chase.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Alexandre Sarr arrives before the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Before the spotlight, Wembanyama, Sarr, Risacher, Saluan, Coulibaly and Dadiet only had visions of what they could have been. Once they joined the NBA, they saw what they were.

"I think it's just a first step, but it's definitely achieving something that was big for me," Sarr said. "You know, being drafted, I don't take it for granted and I'm sure enjoying it a lot."

Sarr iterated what every draft prospect who's gotten their named called has felt. Him being from France as a part of a modern-day basketball French revolution only made it sweeter.

READ MORE: The Complete 2024 San Antonio Spurs Draft Guide

"It just shows the amount of talent that we have in France," Sarr said of the basketball landscape back in France. "I think our national team is really going to be good."

As for Sarr's relationship with Risacher? Being No. 1 and No. 2?

Moot point.

"I'm really excited for Zacc," the Frenchman said "I kind of had a feeling. I was really happy for him. And me?

"I was really happy for me, too."