NBA
The San Antonio Spurs won the 2023 NBA Draft lottery and the right to draft French sensation Victor Wembanyama
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated17 May 2023
In their past franchise history, the San Antonio Spurs have had the #1 pick in the draft on two occasions. They selected David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. Both were key pieces to the Spurs’ dynasty and each is in the NBA Hall of Fame. Last night, the Spurs were lucky enough to land the #1 overall pick once again. That means San Antonio has the right to draft French sensation Victor Wembanyama.
Coming into the lottery draft last night, the Spurs, Pistons, and Rockets all had a 14 percent chance at landing the #1 pick. Head coach Gregg Popovich had a quote in the past that said the Spurs have used up all the luck they could possibly ask for. The 74-year-old must have been elated for his team to land the #1 pick for a third time in the last 35 years.
NBA betting sites now have Victor Wembanyama at (-20000) to be the #1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Live from Paris… #NBADraft prospect Victor Wembanyama reacts to the #NBADraftLottery presented by State Farm! pic.twitter.com/YBnNQ4hgQk
— NBA (@NBA) May 17, 2023
French sensation Victor Wembanyama is headed to the Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft
At 19 years old, Victor Wembanyama is the consensus #1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. It was not a matter of where he was selected. Rather, it was who was going to win the #1 overall pick and the right to draft Wembanyama. San Antonio got the lucky bounce they needed and they will be selected first in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Wembanyama is regarded as one of the most anticipated NBA prospects since LeBron James back in 2003. He’s seven-foot-five and is a generational talent. In a French pro league this season, he averaged (21.5) points, (10.4) rebounds, (2.4) assists, and (3.0) blocks per game.
San Antonio was tied for the worst record in the league this season at 22-60. This was the break that the Spurs needed after missing the playoffs the past four postseasons in a row. The Spurs made the playoffs from 1998-2019, winning five championships in that time. Victor Wembanyama is a generational talent that the Spurs can build around for years to come. All 14 teams in the Draft lottery were hoping to be the one team selected. Only San Antonio came out on top.
