Inside The Spurs

Spurs No. 1 Pick Victor Wembanyama 'Could Change the Entire City of San Antonio'

Expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, Victor Wembanyama has the tall task of reviving the Spurs, but he could end up doing much more than that.

Matt Guzman

Spurs No. 1 Pick Victor Wembanyama 'Could Change the Entire City of San Antonio'
Spurs No. 1 Pick Victor Wembanyama 'Could Change the Entire City of San Antonio' /
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It's no secret the kind of impact that prospective No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama is expected to bring to the San Antonio Spurs next season. 

Wembanyama's level of talent is second to none among the other prospects of the 2023 NBA Draft, setting him up to lead the Spurs next season — and not just in height. 

In fact, if history repeats itself, the Spurs may be looking to have a 50-win season again for the first time since 2016, which would be a welcome change for his team. 

But Wembanyama may actually be doing more than just changing San Antonio's roster. He may be looking to change the city as well.

"The only thing bigger than Victor Wembanyama right now is the hyperbole [surrounding] him," WOAI Sports Anchor Don Harris said. "What if I told you this isn't about basketball at all? 

"If he's as big as the hype, he changes the [entire] infrastructure [of San Antonio]."

Wembanyama could have that kind of impact for his soon-to-be NBA home. 

When the Spurs drafted David Robinson with the top overall pick in 1987, they expected to improve on the court and become contenders once again. What they didn't expect, however, was Robinson's injury in the 1996-97 season leading to another top pick. 

With it, Tim Duncan became San Antonio-bound and two years later, the Spurs had won their first championship. Two years after that, the Spurs were once again NBA-relevant and the AT&T Center was built, becoming the Spurs' new home base.

"When [the Spurs] landed Duncan, we didn't envision the AT&T center being built or [the city] having five championship parades," Harris said. "So, what will San Antonio look like 25 years from now? Of course it'll be different, but Wemby will be a big reason why."

Moving forward, the Spurs will get a chance to develop the 7-3 center into one of the greatest NBA big men of all-time, assuming his health holds up and he is in fact as good as he appears to be. 

Not much can be said yet about the state of the city with regards to Wembanyama's arrival, but if things go according to plan, Harris and many Spurs fans will be correct — San Antonio will be a "good" different. 

If that ends up being the case, Wembanyama will have done his job, and secured his spot in the Hall-of-fame, being a center capable of changing a city. 

The NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where San Antonio will get its chance to bring the 19-year-old home.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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