Since San Antonio selected Victor Wembanyama as the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft, the anticipation to watch the French phenom in his first NBA game has become palpable.
The Spurs will open NBA Summer League action Friday against the Hornets at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Wembanyama is slated to make his summer league debut in that game, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein. But before Wembanyama takes the floor for the first time as a Spur, he explained to Michelle Beadle why he chose No. 1 as his uniform number.
“It’s a mentality. … There’s no other option but to be number one. I can’t accept to be behind someone in some way,” Wembanyama said, per the Spurs’ Twitter account.
When San Antonio drafted Wembanyama, he became the franchise’s third No. 1 pick, joining legendary big men David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. Wembanyama seeks to resurrect a Spurs franchise that has been rebuilding in recent years.
Michelle Beadle: "Take us through choosing [your jersey number]."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 5, 2023
Wembanyama: "It's a mentality... There's no other option but to be number 1. I can't accept to be behind someone in some way."
Victor wants nothing but to be the best 👀
(via @spurs)pic.twitter.com/X7ZUVzvxEe
San Antonio has missed the postseason in each of the past four seasons, including a 22-60 mark in the 2022-23 campaign. This past season, Wembanyama averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.0 blocks per game for Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 in France’s top league.
