Victor Wembanyama is broadly considered the best NBA prospect since LeBron James, but that hardly guarantees him the ultimate status of becoming a San Antonio Spurs legend. As the process toward reaching that goal begins, the French wunderkind is already learning from franchise icons who helped the Spurs sustain the league's longest-running dynasty.
Just 24 hours after San Antonio made him the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, Wembanyama sat down to a dinner hosted by Gregg Popovich alongside a who's who of past Spurs stars including Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, David Robinson and Sean Elliott.
“Victor Wembanyama said he learned more last night about the NBA than he ever knew before thanks to a dinner last night with Manu Ginobili, David Robinson and Tim Duncan,” NBA.com's Michael C. Wright tweeted Saturday morning. “Sean Elliott also attended the dinner last night at Bliss along with coach Pop. Sean, Tim, Victor, Manu and David were at the chef’s table with Pop, who went back and forth between that table and one where Victor’s family was seated.”
Team dinners have become a defining characteristic of the San Antonio culture during Popovich's near three-decade tenure as head coach.
It's not surprising the likes of Duncan, Ginobili, Robinson and Elliott—three Hall-of-Famers and a revered role player who hit one of the most significant shots in team history—were on hand to welcome Wembanyama to the Spurs. Few organizations in professional sports have passed the torch from era to era with the grace and respect, not to mention success, of San Antonio.
It may take awhile for Wembanyama to lead his young squad to dynastic heights, but his early, all-hands-on-deck indoctrination to the Spurs way could certainly accelerate that timeline toward championship glory.
Follow Us
Subscribe