Forward Victor Wembanyama (1) Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Victor Wembanyama realized his NBA potential as a preteen

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 6/21/23

Projected No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama met with the media on Wednesday, just over 24 hours before he's expected to be selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs.

The 19-year-old Frenchman revealed just how long he's been dreaming about playing in the NBA and how old he was when he realized that his dream could become a reality.

Victor Wenbanyama says he’s been thinking about being drafted “for years and years” and admits he’s going to have trouble sleeping tonight. He says he first believed he could be in the NBA when he was 12 years old.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 21, 2023

With his 7-foot-4 frame, international appeal and boatload of potential, Wembanyama is one of the most tantalizing prospects in recent years.

He represented Team France at both the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship in Italy and the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia, leading his squad to silver medals both times. Wembanyama was the Pro A MVP, Best Scorer and Best Defender during the 2022-23 season and was a two-time All-Star, earning the LNB All-Star Game MVP award in December at Accor Arena.

After starting to play basketball in France when he was seven years old, it's remarkable, yet not too far-fetched, that "Wemby" and his admirers were seeing his pro potential before he reached his teenage years.

Ever since the San Antonio Spurs won the Draft Lottery in May, it's been a foregone conclusion that Wembanyama would be suiting up with head coach Gregg Popovich's crew this fall. The top prospect spoke on that topic on Wednesday as well.

Victor Wenbanyama: “To me, San Antonio is synonymous with winning.” He said he felt lucky that the Spurs got the top pick, and was excited to go to a franchise that has the history of winning that the Spurs do.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 21, 2023

Though the Spurs finished last season with the second-worst record in the league at 22-60 and it was their fourth straight year out of the playoff picture, they had made the postseason 22 years in a row prior to that, winning five NBA titles. Popovich has been at the helm since midway through the 1996-97 campaign, and with Wembanyama soon joining him, San Antonio may find themselves back in contention in the near future.

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