2023 NBA Draft: Victor Wembanyama selected No. 1 by San Antonio Spurs
Widely considered the best prospect since LeBron James, the 19-year-old French phenom is taken first as expected by the Spurs. The Charlotte Hornets pick Brandon Miller at No. 2, Scoot Henderson goes to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 3.
Basketball
The San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday (22 June).
The 19-year-old centre from France is widely considered a generational talent, the top prospect since LeBron James.
Wembanyama is the Spurs’ first No. 1 pick since 1997, when they selected future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan.
“I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” Wembanyama said in tears, moments after shaking hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on the stage at the Barclays Center in New York.
“Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver, I’ve dreamed of it so much, I gotta cry.
“It’s a tough league. Many players have tried to win for years, for decades. I’m going to learn as quick as possible because I want to win that ring.”
Wembanyama is the 14th international player to be drafted first overall and the highest French pick ever.
He became the youngest MVP in French league history this past season, averaging 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game for Metropolitans 92.
San Antonio went 22-60 in 2022-23 to give itself a chance to win the NBA lottery, which the team did for a third time.
Wembanyama - the second tallest player ever to go No. 1 after Yao Ming in 2002 - will play for Gregg Popovich, the winningest coach in league history.
Popovich said his new franchise player is truly one of a kind.
"More than Os and Xs to begin with, we'll be most interested in setting the framework and an environment where he's comfortable, where he can be Victor," said Popovich, who led the United States to a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
"He's not LeBron or Tim or or anybody else. He's Victor - and that's who we want him to be.
"We're thrilled that we were able to bring Victor on board. He's obviously a heck of a talent, a very mature young man."
Brandon Miller goes No. 2, Scoot Henderson No. 3
With the second overall pick, the Charlotte Hornets selected Alabama forward Brandon Miller.
That choice left the Portland Trail Blazers to take explosive G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson at No. 3.
Amen and Ausar Thompson made history when the twins were selected with the fourth and fifth picks by the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, respectively.
They are the first brothers to be drafted together in the top 10. Amen and Ausar both played in Overtime Elite, a professional league for teenagers.
Full results from the first round below:
2023 NBA Draft - First Round
- San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama, centre (France)
- Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller, forward (Alabama)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson, guard (G League Ignite)
- Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson, guard (Overtime Elite)
- Detroit Pistons: Ausar Thompson, guard (Overtime Elite)
- Orlando Magic: Anthony Black, guard (Arkansas)
- Washington Wizards (from Indiana Pacers): Bilal Coulibaly, forward (France)
- Indiana (from Washington): Jarace Walker, forward (Houston)
- Utah Jazz: Taylor Hendricks, forward (UCF)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Dallas Mavericks): Cason Wallace, guard (Kentucky)
- Orlando (from Chicago Bulls): Jett Howard, forward (Michigan)
- Dallas (from OKC): Dereck Lively II, centre (Duke)
- Toronto Raptors: Gradey Dick, guard (Kansas)
- New Orleans Pelicans: Jordan Hawkins, guard (Connecticut)
- Atlanta Hawks: Kobe Bufkin, guard (Michigan)
- Utah (from Minnesota): Keyonte George, guard (Baylor)
- LA Lakers: Jalen Hood-Schifino, guard (Indiana)
- Miami Heat: Jaime Jaquez Jr., forward (UCLA)
- Golden State Warriors: Brandin Podziemski, guard (Santa Clara)
- Houston (from LA Clippers): Cam Whitmore, forward (Villanova)
- Brooklyn Nets: Noah Clowney, forward (Alabama)
- Brooklyn (from Phoenix): Dariq Whitehead, guard (Duke)
- Portland (from New York): Kris Murray, forward (Iowa)
- Dallas (from Sacramento): Olivier-Maxence Prosper, forward (Marquette)
- Detroit (from Memphis): Marcus Sasser, guard (Houston)
- Indiana (from Cleveland): Ben Sheppard, guard (Belmont)
- Charlotte (from Denver): Nick Smith Jr., guard (Arkansas)
- Utah (from Philadelphia): Brice Sensabaugh, forward (Ohio State)
- Denver Nuggets (from Indiana): Julian Strawther, guard (Gonzaga)
- LA Clippers (from Milwaukee): Kobe Brown, forward (Missouri)