Fans were numerous at Newark airport, in the suburbs of New York, to welcome Victor Wembanyama. The 19-year-old French prodigy, a great hope for world basketball from the height of his 2.24 m, is about to make a remarkable entrance into the American league. On the night of Thursday June 22 to Friday June 23, he should be the number one choice of the “NBA Draft” and fly to the San Antonio Spurs.
This first place in the ranking would be unprecedented for a Frenchman. According to information from Franceinfo, Emmanuel Macron would have even received him discreetly at the Elysée just before his departure for the Draft.
► The gateway to the NBA
The Draft is the annual pre-season event that allows talent from around the world to be recruited by one of the 30 NBA clubs. The franchise that owns the 1st choice can choose from all available players. The “picks” are awarded via a drawing (“lottery”), governed by a system of probabilities so that the worst teams obtain the right to recruit the best players, thus rebalancing the championship.
There are only two rounds and therefore only 60 places available for aspiring players. The higher the “pick”, the more the player displays his value and the better his contract will be.
► A long selection
To make the best choices, the NBA franchises carry out a thorough observation of the candidates. Throughout the previous season, the teams send “scouts”, observers specialized in the evaluation of young players, all over the world to study their performances and their mentality.
Victor Wembanyama, with unprecedented talent, has been followed for years by American franchises. Once the season is over, clubs can even invite certain players to come and perform private testing sessions, under the orders of the franchise coach.
► A historical ranking
The selection of the tricolor star is an event for basketball in France. If Victor Wembanyama climbs to the top of the standings, he will mark history: never has a Frenchman been selected so early in a Draft. Currently, Killian Hayes holds the record with the 7th draft pick in 2020.
This year, several other French players have a good chance of joining the NBA. This is the case of Joël Ayayi and Yves Pons, who can claim a place on the list.
