The Texas franchise got the first pick on Tuesday in the NBA lottery. She will be able to choose the French nugget during the draft scheduled for June 22.
The near future of Victor Wembanyama was probably sealed last night. The San Antonio Spurs were awarded the first pick of the NBA draft on Tuesday, May 16, in the North American basketball league lottery. A weighted draw, organized before the draft, to determine which of the fourteen franchises not qualified for the play-offs at the end of the regular season will have the right to use themselves before the others in the pool of the best young recruits available.
With 14% chance – the highest probability with the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons – it is therefore San Antonio, 15th and last in Western Conference, who took the jackpot, ahead of Charlotte, Portland and Houston who will settle for the second, third and fourth choices. Announced for months as the number 1 priority in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama therefore has a good chance of landing in Texas next season, like a certain Tony Parker before him.
“A special relationship between France and Spurs”
The cry of joy of the president of the Spurs, Peter J. Holt, when NBA No. 2 Mark Tatum announced the result, said a lot about the importance of having this first choice.. “I could pass out. I’m so excited. The city of San Antonio, our fans, we have so many people who love Spurs. We’re fired up.”then commented on the leader, without saying more.
Surrounded by his family and friends, including PSG star Kylian Mbappé, during an evening organized for this occasion, “Wemby” for his part did not hide his joy. “I can’t really describe how I feel, my heart is racing. I have everyone I love around me, it’s a really special moment that I will remember all my life. I want to try to get a champion’s ring as soon as possible, so be prepared”he reacted hotly to the microphone of ESPN.
“There is a special relationship between Spurs and France thanks to Tony (Parker) and Boris (Diaw). Half the country, if not all, wanted San Antonio to get the first choice. I understood, I looked at my loved ones around me and everyone was happy because I was too. I knew this was going to happen”, he then added in a video shared by the specialized site Bleacher Report. The French even split a clear tweet: “Today was a good day”.
About fifteen French people are applying for the draft
The one LeBron James had compared to a “alien” in the fall had already made fun of his status on Twitter. “10 days before knowing my future team. It’s really a crazy thing”, had ironically written the 19-year-old giant (2.21m), on May 6, implying that there was no doubt as to the choice of the happy franchise elected to the lottery. If this is confirmed on June 22, he would then become the first Frenchman drafted in this “first pick” position. Until then, the best rank obtained by a French player was seventh place, obtained by Killian Hayes in 2020.
In addition to the interior of the Metropolitan 92, thirteen other French people are part of the list of 242 registered for this 2023 draft. Among them, his teammate at Boulogne-Levallois, the winger Bilal Coulibalythe exiled winger in New Zealand Rayan Ruperteven the leader of the Portel Nadir Hifi seem the most likely to be among the 58 players called up by NBA boss Adam Silver to join the prestigious league.
A list to which we must also add the very versatile Sidy Cissoko, automatically eligible since he was playing this season in the NBA G-League Ignite, within the Gatorade League, the NBA’s development league. Note that these registrants have until June 12 to withdraw.
