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The Spurs will be able to select 7-foot-5 monster Victor Wembanyama with the first pick after winning the NBA Draft lottery on Tuesday night.
San Antonio had the joint-best odds – 14 percent – of getting the No. 1 pick, and now they’ll have the chance of selecting a generational prospect once dubbed an ‘alien’ by LeBron James.
‘I’m gonna [do] everything to win as many games as I can,’ he said during a live interview with ESPN from Paris.
‘I’m trying to win a ring ASAP, so be ready.’
Spurs owner Peter Holt, who was in attendance in Chicago at the lottery, was elated after it was announced that his team had won the No. 1 pick, screaming ‘let’s go!’ immediately afterwards and later joking he ‘might faint’ when he was interviewed.
Victor Wembanyama looks headed to the San Antonio Spurs in next month’s NBA Draft
Spurs owner Peter Holt (left), who was in attendance in Chicago at the lottery, was elated
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will be delighted with having the first pick at NBA Draft
Holt also insisted that his team’s future was brighter than ever, before adding that he’s a believer that good things happen to good people.
‘It’s going to be unbelievable,’ the Spurs owner said at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, via ESPN. ‘Our future was already bright, now it’s going to be through the moon.’
He added: ‘I’m a believer that good things happen to great people.
‘We’re surrounded by amazing people that try to be of service and help others and build things that are great. So you’re going to attract some amazing things. That’s what happened tonight.’
Footage of Wembanyama in Paris was filmed by the NBA as he learned of the No. 1 pick.
He seemed delighted when the announcement was made, clapping and clenching his fists.
And fans of the San Antonio franchise matched that excitement from Holt as they were captured erupting when they found out Wembanyama would likely be a Spur.
Fans recorded at a bar were seen spraying alcohol and jumping in the air when they saw the franchise-altering news announced.
Wembanyama will follow in the footsteps of former Spurs big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan, who were both No. 1 overall picks.
And fans will hope the French teenager can emulate Robinson and Duncan’s Hall of Fame careers.
‘People talk about generational talent, and they only think on-court skill, but it’s bigger than that,’ Spurs general manager Brian Wright said Tuesday night.
‘His ability to be a great teammate, his ability to think the game, unique challenges, you see him doing things that you wouldn’t even have guessed someone could do. His approach, his professionalism.
‘When you use the word generational talent, it extends beyond your ability to put the ball in the basket. And he’s unique in so many ways.’
Wright said that he had been anxious all day leading up to the lottery, even waking up at 5am and being unable to get back to sleep.
‘Just an incredible day,’ Wright said. ‘For the franchise. For the fans. For the entire organization. We’re incredibly excited about the future.’
Holt screamed out ‘let’s go!’ immediately after the lottery and later joked he ‘might faint’
Spurs general manager Brian Wright (second left) described Wembanyama as ‘unique’
The Spurs have a history of great French players, including Tony Parker, who won four titles with San Antonio and won Finals MVP honors in 2007, and Boris Diaw, who played on the 2014 championship team.
‘We wouldn’t need to hire a translator,’ Wright said with a laugh. ‘We’ve had some great French players come through. What they’ve meant to basketball in that country and obviously what Victor could mean to basketball in that country and basketball globally around the world, it’s exciting.
‘Having that connectivity is great for our organization. I think it’ll be great for him to get assimilated and accumulated to what we do and just being a part of the fabric of the community.’
Elsewhere in the draft, the Hornets got the No. 2 pick while the Blazers rounded out the top three, as the Pistons and Rockets fell further than expected.
The first nine picks announced went exactly according to the odds.
The Pelicans got the 14th pick, the Raptors got the 13th pick, the Thunder got the 12th pick and the Magic – via a previous trade with the Bulls – got the 11th pick.
The 10th pick then went to the Mavs, who would’ve gave that selection to the Knicks had it slid past that spot, while No. 9 went to the Jazz, No. 8 to the Wizards, No. 7 to the Pacers and No. 6 to the Magic.
But at the fifth pick, things went off script, as the Pistons – who had the joint-best odds of winning the lottery – saw their name called.
Alabama’s Brandon Miller (R) and G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson (L) are projected top-three picks
The next pick announced was a surprise as well, as the Rockets – who also had a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery alongside Detroit and San Antonio – were leapfrogged by Charlotte and Portland and slotted in at the fourth pick.
While the night all but revealed where Wembanyama will play next, it also offered clarity for a couple of other prospects.
Both Alabama’s Brandon Miller and G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson are projected top-three picks, and their futures became a bit clearer with the Hornets and Blazers now holding the No. 2 and No. 3 picks respectively.
The NBA Draft will be held on June 22 in New York.
