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Victor Wembanyama OFFICIALLY declares for the 2023 NBA Draft… as expected No 1 overall pick shares the worst-kept secret in basketball in live TV interview
- Prized prospect Victor Wembanyama has confirmed he’s entering the Draft
- He’ll find out his next destination on June 22 when the event is held in Brooklyn
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Victor Wembanyama has officially declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, confirming his place as the likely No 1 overall pick in June.
The Pistons, Spurs, Rockets and Hornets are currently the most likely to land him in the lottery, which takes place on May 16, and the 7-foot-4 French phenom is arguably the most lauded prospect since LeBron James.
He currently plays his basketball with Metropolitans 92 in his native France, and confirmed his draft news on ESPN on Friday afternoon.
‘It’s been a year with so many great news for me, so first of all I wanna thank everyone that has been part of that journey all of the previous years, my coaches, my family,’ he started his announcement.
‘And I’m really excited to announce that I’m gonna declare to the 2023 NBA Draft. So I hope it’s big news.’
Victor Wembanyama (right) appeared on ESPN to confirm he is declaring for the 2023 Draft
Wembanyama is far and away the favorite to be taken No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA draft
The massive center has a feathery shooting touch and strong ballhandling ability, and is dominating the French league at just 19 years old.
This year, he’s averaging 21.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 2.3 assists per game, and has played 47 consecutive contests across all competitions since September.
Stateside, Wembanyama also impressed massively when his team played a pair of exhibitions vs. G League Ignite – the team of likely No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson.
In those games, Wembanyama showed the ability that has teams salivating over him, scroring 73 points across both contests.
‘Declaring for the draft … it’s something crazy I’m not realizing yet,’ he told ESPN.
Wembanyama (left) and Scoot Henderson, of the G-League Ignite are seen this past October
‘I realized pretty young I wanted to play in the NBA but it becomes a reality more every day. I’m so lucky to have this dream within the reach of my hand.’
Before he’s even played a game in the NBA, the hype around the French prospect has been huge in the USA.
The NBA has streamed every single one of Wembanyama’s games this season on their app, and Lakers star LeBron James called him an ‘alien’ as a compliment.
Wembanyama’s next destination will decided on June 22, when the draft is held at the Barclays Center.
