New York (AP) – Basketball exceptional talent Victor Wembanyama cried in front of an audience of millions, used handkerchiefs in the box and had his sister and brother calm him down.
For months, the 19-year-old Frenchman had been touted by US media as the greatest talent since NBA superstar LeBron James. For weeks it had been clear that he would start his career in the best basketball league in the world with the San Antonio Spurs.
When NBA boss Adam Silver finally announced what came as no surprise – that Spurs picked Wembanyama first – at the draft in New York, emotions were simply too great for Wembanyama. “I’ve achieved something I’ve dreamed of all my life. Hearing this line from Adam Silver, I’ve dreamed of it for so long. I have to cry,” he said with tears streaming down his face and a damp handkerchief in his hand and later explained : “Of course I was waiting for it, but I still had butterflies in my stomach.”
Big goals
Before the start of the season he wants to cause a sensation with France at the World Cup in Asia, after his debut season the Olympic Games in his home Paris will follow – the 2.18 meter tall Wembanyama will probably not rest for a long time. The tweet by French President Emmanuel Macron also showed the reputation the teenager already enjoys in the Grande Nation. “You let us dream,” he wrote, among other things: “There is no doubt: you will change the game!”
Wemby – as he is just called – on the New York subway, Wemby as the guest of honor at a New York Yankees game, interviews on all channels and, in addition, in the past few months, live transmissions of all his games from the French league in the NBA app. The excitement and hype is enormous. Also fueled by the respectful comments of numerous NBA stars.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” said Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. “He can block like Rudy (Gobert) but throw like KD (Kevin Durant).” Soccer superstar and Wembanyama compatriot Kylian Mbappé tweeted on French night: “The story begins now.”
Learn a lot and quickly – and get titles
In the USA, the teenager now wants to improve quickly – and win titles. “It’s a tough league, it’s difficult to win. My goal is to learn as much and as quickly as possible because I want to win this ring,” he announced. Hardly anyone doubts that he will make the Spurs a title contender in the coming years, even if it didn’t work out in France with the championship in farewell.
However, with the best values in the categories points, rebounds and blocks, he gave a foretaste of the quality that the Spurs now have in the squad. In addition to the range advantages, Wembanyama also has an excellent feel for the ball. “How big he is, how he can dribble, how he can throw – in terms of skill, he really has the potential to be one of the best in history. But you can’t skip steps,” national team captain Dennis Schröder told the German Press Agency in im Said ahead of the draft. “He’s going to be really special if he works really hard and gets guidance.”
Even before the first session in Texas, Wembanyama made it clear that his new coaches led by the legendary Gregg Popovich would also have to change and adapt. “I have a unique body, I have to acknowledge that. I have to deal with it. I can’t work like everyone else. My training is different, but it’s the same fights,” he said. Probably the same emotions.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:230623-99-156109/6
2023-06-23 12:55:37
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