Victor Wembanyama was officially drafted by the San Antonio Spurs as the safest first pick since LeBron James 20 years ago.
Expected to take the NBA by storm, the 19-year-old, 7ft 4 tall Frenchman has been described as an “alien” by LeBron himself for his good control, agility and accuracy when shooting from three-point range he doesn’t normally do associated with someone so tall.
And now the alien has landed in San Antonio, who won gold with his first-place finish in the NBA Draft Lottery earlier this year.
The teenager broke down in tears as he sat with his family on Thursday night as the election was announced at the Barclays Center.
After Wembanyama was selected first overall, he shared the reason for his emotions with ESPN’s Monica McNutt.
Not surprisingly, Victor Wembanyama was first drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in New York
Wembanyama was the first name to come out of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s mouth
After Spurs picked him, Wembanyama hugged his family and shed tears of joy
“It’s just about achieving something I’ve dreamed of all my life,” Wembanyama said. “When I heard that line from Adam Silver, I dreamed about it so much I cried man.”
Back in San Antonio, they celebrated the franchise selection boisterously at the AT&T Center. Some supporters had made signs with Wembanayama’s face. One even exhibited the phenomenon of shooting lasers out of his eyes in a nod to his LeBron bestowed “alien” status.
Some fans even rushed in line to enter the fan shop to buy their custom made Wembanyama jerseys.
Wembanyama arrived in New York on Monday before the draft in Brooklyn and has been on a tumultuous tour of the Big Apple ever since.
He attended Tuesday night’s New York Yankees game against the Seattle Mariners and pitched the first pitch at Yankee Stadium.
Funnily enough, Wembanyama wasn’t as accurate with a baseball in hand – his throw went wide and nearly missed the catcher.
But in Texas he won’t have as many problems with Spurs, who will now officially sharpen focus on building the team around the Frenchman. Wembanyama is coached by Gregg Popovich.
The team was the last competitor in the Western Conference last season and ended the season with a miserable 22-60 record.
Back in San Antonio, fans went wild as they celebrated the election at the AT&T Center
A fan held up a sign that showed Wembanyama firing lasers from his eyes, referring to the “alien.”
Some fans have even lined up to buy jerseys with his name on them
In a speech earlier this week, Wembanyama revealed he needs to eat five times a day – as much as possible – to fuel his massive physique and wants to bring French food to his new home.
“I have to eat wherever I can,” the Frenchman, who speaks perfect English, told Good Morning America. “Before workout, after workout, before bed, after wake up, before nap, after nap.”
But he has insisted he will not be overwhelmed when it comes time to make his NBA debut later this year.
“The most important thing is not to humbly step onto the pitch,” he said. “You have to be humble enough – to be able to respect the game – but if you come on the pitch too humbled and scared, there’s nothing you can do.”
Earlier this year, Lakers star James said of the Frenchman: “We call him the unicorn thing – everyone’s been a unicorn in recent years.”
The 19-year-old Frenchman was one of the most successful first picks in NBA history
Wembanyama impressed with his precise control and agility at a height of 2.10 meters
Wembanyama landed in the United States on Monday as hype surrounding his NBA move reached new heights
He’s been in New York for the past few days throwing the first pitch at a Yankees game
“But he’s more like an extraterrestrial — no one has ever seen anyone as tall as him but also as fluid and graceful as he lies on the ground.”
So far, Wembanyama has played for the Metropolitans 92 in France. His last game came last week and ended in defeat against Monaco.
The fans chanted “Merci, Wemby” while the hugely popular Wembanyama party waved and clapped.
“I feel sorry for the fans who love to watch a show,” Wembanyama said after the game. “Of course I’m proud of what I did together with my coach (Vincent Collet) and brought the team to the final.” But I’m not satisfied.’