Inside The Spurs

Victor(y)! Spurs Win Generational Star Wembanyama in NBA Draft Lottery

Victor Wembanyama is likely going to join the San Antonio Spurs after the franchise won the NBA Draft Lottery.

Matt Guzman

Victor(y)! Spurs Win Generational Star Wembanyama in NBA Draft Lottery
Victor(y)! Spurs Win Generational Star Wembanyama in NBA Draft Lottery /
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The San Antonio Spurs are elated after winning the NBA Draft Lottery for the first time in 26 years.

When the team last won the drawing in 1997, Tim Duncan joined the franchise and led the Spurs to all five of their NBA championships. Now, there's a similar level of excitement with the red carpet laid out for Victor Wembanyama to call San Antonio his home.

Despite being just 19 years old, the center has already established himself as one of the best prospects to ever be drafted without even the NBA Draft Combine to boost his resume. If not for his impressive play, his height might have been more than enough to justify the media attention he's received, but his stats are there too.

This season, Wembanyama has played 33 games for Metropolitans 92 — a team within France's LNB-A professional league — and averaged 21 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.5 assists. He is an all-around player with extreme reach on boards and the ability to knock down shots.

The French giant has been compared to NBA greats like Kevin Durant and even Dirk Nowitzki, which would be an extreme comparison for a player without any NBA experience ... had he not already been praised by the legend himself.

"It's scary how talented this kid is," Nowitzki said in an interview with FIBA. "Hopefully he can stay healthy. That's the only thing that can hold him back," Nowitzki said. "I think everything else [is there]. I've heard he's got the work ethic, he's a smart kid, he wants to be great, he's putting in the work and we're all here to support him and see his full potential. We're all rooting for him ... scary talent."

Now, the "scary talent" is about to put the Spurs back on the NBA map.

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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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