By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-5 French phenom with an 8-foot wingspan, was the first player who heard his name during the 2023 NBA draft in New York’s Barclays Center.
“I can’t really describe it,” the 19-year-old told reporters following the pick. “One of the best feelings of my life. Probably the best night of my life. I’ve been dreaming about this for so long. It’s a dream come true. It’s incredible.”
The Spurs used up all five minutes they had on the clock before making the pick official. Wembanyama called it the “longest five minutes” of his life.
“This is when I started getting the butterflies, and it’s where I started seeing my family get silent,” Wembanyama said. “Everyone watching their watch. Then I got called, and I went to the back. I was congratulated by a lot of people there. I saw Adam Silver, shook his hand again, gave him a hug.”
At 7-foot-5, he is the second-tallest player to be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA draft (Yao Ming, 7-6, in 2002). He is also the first player drafted No. 1 overall without a college background since Andrea Bargnani in 2006 and just the second top-10 draft pick from France, joining Frank Ntilikina (8th in 2017).
That’s only natural for a player who is considered a generational talent, a guard with a deadly shot on the body of a giant.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich credited Wembanyama’s parents for how they’ve raised him to handle the immense amount of pressure that has been put on him so far.
“He’s got a great disposition, a good combination of intellectual ability and an emotional intelligence at the same time,” Popovich said. “He understands what hype is. He understands all the attention he’s getting, but he still welcomes it, deals with it. … So, I think he understands that there’s a way to handle that responsibility and still let people feel somewhat close to him. So he doesn’t need a lot of advice in that area.”
Coulibali also picked in the lottery
In total nine players from Europe or playing in Europe were drafted.
Bilal Coulibali, Wembanyama’s teammate at Metropolitans 92, was also picked at no.7 by the Pacers and traded to the Wizards, being the only other European player who was part of the first round.
On the second round, Barcelona’s Nigerian center James Nnaji was picked at no31 by the Celtics, Partizan’s Tristan Vukcevic was drafted at 42 by Washington, the Frech duo of Rayan Rupert (NZ Breakers) and Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite) were the no43 and no44 picks, Belgium’s Toumani Camara who played in Dayton was the 52nd pick by the Suns and Bosnian-Turk Tarik Biberovic of Fenerbahce was the 56th pick by the Grizzlies.
Also, Arizona’s undrafted big man Azuolas Tubelis from Lithuania signed a two-way contract with the Sixers.
The Full 2023 NBA draft
First Round
1. Spurs draft Victor Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92)
2. Hornets draft Brandon Miller (Alabama)
3. Blazers draft Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)
4. Rockets draft Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite)
5. Pistons draft Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite)
6. Magic draft Anthony Black (Arkansas)
7. Pacers draft Bilal Coulibaly (Metropolitans 92) – Traded to Wizards
8. Wizards draft Jarace Walker (Houston) – Traded to Pacers
9. Jazz draft Taylor Hendricks (Central Florida)
10. Mavericks draft Cason Wallace (Kentucky) – Traded to Thunder
11. Magic draft Jett Howard (Michigan)
12. Thunder draft Dereck Lively II (Duke) – Traded to Mavericks
13. Raptors draft Gradey Dick (Kansas)
14. Pelicans draft Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut)
15. Hawks draft Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)
16. Jazz draft Keyonte George (Baylor)
17. Lakers draft Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
18. Heat draft Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
19. Warriors draft Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara)
20. Rockets draft Cam Whitmore (Villanova)
21. Nets draft Noah Clowney (Alabama)
22. Nets draft Dariq Whitehead (Duke)
23. Blazers draft Kris Murray (Iowa)
24. Kings draft Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette) – Reportedly traded to Mavericks
25. Grizzlies draft Marcus Sasser (Houston) – Traded to Pistons
26. Pacers draft Ben Sheppard (Belmont)
27. Hornets draft Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
28. Jazz draft Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
29. Pacers draft Julian Strawther (Gonzaga) – Reportedly traded to Nuggets
30. LA Clippers draft Kobe Brown (Missouri)
Second Round
31. Pistons draft James Nnaji (FC Barcelona) – Reportedly traded to Celtics
32. Pacers draft Jalen Pickett (Penn State)– Reportedly traded to Nuggets
33. Spurs draft Leonard Miller (G League Ignite) – Reportedly traded to Timberwolves
34. Hornets draft Colby Jones (Xavier) – Reportedly traded to Kings
35. Celtics draft Julian Phillips (Tennessee) – Reportedly traded to Bulls
36. Magic draft Andre Jackson Jr. (Connecticut) – Traded to Bucks
37. Thunder draft Hunter Tyson (Clemson) – Reportedly traded to Nuggets
38. Kings draft Jordan Walsh (Arkansas) – Reportedly traded to Celtics
39. Hornets draft Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State) – Reportedly traded to Hawks
40. Nuggets draft Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine) – Reportedly traded to Lakers
41. Hornets draft Amari Bailey (UCLA)
42. Wizards draft Tristan Vukcevic (Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade)
43. Blazers draft Rayan Rupert (NZ Breakers)
44. Spurs draft Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite)
45. Grizzlies draft Gregory Jackson II (South Carolina)
46. Hawks draft Seth Lundy (Penn State)
47. Lakers draft Mojave King (G League Ignite) – Reportedly traded to Nuggets
48. Clippers draft Jordan Miller (Miami)
49. Cavaliers draft Emoni Bates (Eastern Michigan)
50. Thunder draft Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State)
51. Nets draft Jalen Wilson (Kansas)
52. Suns draft Toumani Camara (Dayton)
53. Timberwolves draft Jaylen Clark (UCLA)
54. Kings draft Jalen Slawson (Furman)
55. Pacers draft Isaiah Wong (Miami)
56. Grizzlies draft Tarik Biberovic
— Chicago (from Denver via Cleveland; forfeited by Chicago)
— Philadelphia (forfeited)
57. Wizards draft Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) – Reportedly traded to the Warriors
58. Bucks draft Chris Livingston (Kentucky)