It’s now official: Victor Wembanyama is the first choice of the 2023 Draft and a new Spurs player. Gregg Popovich was therefore able to finally express his feelings about the Frenchman, who will be the gondola head of San Antonio next season and for years to come.
“We are delighted to welcome Victor, who is obviously a great talent and a very mature young man”, says the coach press conference. “But as with all draft picks, first, twenty-seventh, or thirty-eighth, our responsibility is to create an environment in which players can thrive and achieve maximum success. […] Anyone would be excited to have the number 1 in the draft. I am very enthusiastic. »
“He will be targeted”
The work begins for the player but also for the franchise. In order not to miss such a talent, you will have to work hard, while remaining patient.
“You should not skip a step”, announces the five-time NBA champion. “First there are the rules which are a little different from FIBA basketball. Because of the hype, it will be targeted. The important thing is to set up a framework and an environment in which he feels comfortable. He’s not LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant or anyone else. He is Victor and we want him to stay that way. So we’ll do what we’ve done in the past with all the other players. We will observe it. We will be there to advise, suggest, answer questions. We will be available as he settles into a team, a city, a new home. We will see what he will eat, who will prepare his food, all these facets. »
The first step, before the big regular season debut in October, is the Summer League. Victor Wembanyama himself mentioned his participation, does Popovich confirm it?
“He will participate in the Summer League but in what proportions, we do not know yet. He just finished his championship. I only spoke once or twice on the phone with him. I need to get a better idea of his state of mind, talk to the people who have trained him all his life. We will make these decisions when we have discussed them all together. »
