A Dream Realized: Wembanyama's Spurs Story is About to Begin, And That's A Good Thing
Sometimes, one simple phrase can make a dream come true.
For San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, that dream was to play in the National Basketball Association — to follow in the footsteps of the great players that came before him: Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Manu Ginóbili.
At first glance, those names look different from one another — all special in their own right — but they share on thing in common, something indiscernible from the surface.
"The San Antonio Spurs select David Robinson from Navy," former NBA commissioner David Stern read aloud in 1987, marking the first of three No. 1 picks in Spurs history.
Robinson's dream was realized that day, when he officially began his career with the Spurs. Replace 1987 with 1997, and you'd find Tim Duncan. His dreams of being an olympic swimmer never came true, though they were replaced, as Duncan just as easily found a home in San Antonio as he did in the Virgin Islands.
Ginóbili tells the same story from a different perspective. His dreams, like all 56 of the players who were drafted before him in 1999, came true on draft night. He got his chance as the underdog and took it, becoming a Spurs legend by the time his 23-year career was finished. Parker? A similar story, just 28 picks earlier.
Wembanyama is no different than his predecessors. His dreams came true on June 22, a random Thursday night that held more weight for the 19-year-old phenom than just about anyone else in the world. The only difference was that current NBA commissioner Adam Silver did the honors this time, with a phrase as simple as all the rest:
"With the first pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Victor Wembanyama from Nanterre, France."
Tears welling in his eyes, Wembanyama made his way from his seat to the stage, where Silver was waiting to shake his size-able hand. The 19-year-old took it all in, greeting his close friends and family with a hug each — not a care in the world for how long it took him.
When Wembanyama finally made it to Silver, the handshake they shared was special, meaning more than just an acknowledgement of his draft announcement. It was an acknowledgment of his own dreams coming true.
A dream that was now shared by all of San Antonio.
"Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver," Wembanyama said, in-between tears and beside his siblings on the draft stage. "I've dreamed of it so much. Hearing that, I've just got to cry. ... I've [just] accomplished something I've been dreaming of my whole life."
Wembanyama's tears only further showed his commitment to his new team, which could carry him a long way in the league, especially with a team like the Spurs, who have long been known for their culture.
"I've always had this ambition, ever since I knew what the draft looked like I wanted to be first," Wembanyama said. "If I had a chance to talk to my younger self, I wouldn't say anything. I wouldn't change anything about the path here."
But the 7-4 forward hasn't touched NBA hardwood. At least not yet. That's what makes his story special ... who else got the kind of hype before playing a single game?
The answer is LeBron James — the only other prospect to be nationally televised before making it to the NBA. James handled his pressure well, and has far exceeded the expectations that were set for him. Wembanyama has the chance to do the same, and now, all eyes are on the Spurs.
Without even playing a single game, a 19-year-old has made San Antonio basketball relevant once again with so much room to grow ... and he loves it.
"It wasn't a feeling, it was like a certainty,” Wembanyama said during his first San Antonio interview. “I just knew that the Spurs were going to get the first pick and I was gonna go to that franchise, to that city.”
Once again, a strong sentiment for a player who was "supposed to" be excited about playing anywhere he went. It seems that maybe Wembanyama did have a hopeful favorite. Maybe it was the Spurs' history, or perhaps their Hall-of-Fame coach Gregg Popovich.
Or it might've been their role models, who have already taken Wembanyama under their wing.
"I can’t really think of a better role model ... [than] Tim Duncan,” Wembanyama told reporters on draft night. "[When I went to dinner with him, Parker, Robinson and Sean Elliot], I learned more in one hour than in my entire life about the NBA."
With their guidance, the 19-year-old can continue to hone his skills both on and off the court, building upon what he learned during his last season in France.
"This year was a really special year for me," Wembanyama said. "It was my last year in France, and I was playing for a team that was second place all year. I've never had this amount of responsibility on a basketball court; I had to push a lot of guys up and make them as good as possible."
Wembanyama did that, helping his team to the LNB Pro A Finals, and this season, he'll need to do that again for his teammates, most of which are still in the early stages of their careers. He may be a one-of-a-kind generational talent, but he does share one thing in common: their dreams came true in the same way his did.
And in just a simple phrase, much like Adam Silver's, Wembanyama also made the dreams of Spurs fans across the country come true on draft night. Their team had found its guy, and he couldn't have been happier to be there.
"Oh my God, I'm a damn Spur," Wembanyama said, a big grin creeping onto his face. "I'm a Spur."
Yes, Wembanyama is a damn Spur, and tonight, his dreams of playing in the NBA become fully realized. Tonight, he'll suit up in his ever-iconic, No. 1 Silver & Black threads for the first time as he looks to leave a first impression like no other.
Tonight, he'll take the court, immune to the pressure it comes with, and kickstart a new era of San Antonio basketball. Tonight, Victor Wembanyama's Spurs story begins.
And that's entirely a good thing.
"My message to Spurs fans is that I’m going to give 100 percent," he said. "For me, San Antonio is a city of winning. On lottery night, when the Spurs got the No. 1 pick, I was feeling lucky that they got the pick ... having that culture. They have experience in winning and creating good players, and I really can't wait."
Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will take the floor against the Charlotte Hornets Friday evening in Las Vegas, with a chance to advance to 3-0 in Summer League. Coverage on ESPN begins at 8 p.m. CST.
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