Unsurprisingly, the San Antonio Spurs didn’t hesitate to get Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Every single team in their position would’ve done the same.
Wembanyama is a unique player, a basketball unicorn as we had never seen before. He’s — perhaps — the most perfect prospect to ever set foot on a basketball court.
But as great as he is, there’s still a long way to go for him to even be good at the next level. That’s why Gregg Popovich doesn’t want to hear anything about the comparisons with Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, or anyone else.
Gregg Popovich Doesn’t Want To Compare Victor Wembanyama
“Because of all the hype, he’ll have a target on his back. More than O’s and X’s to begin with, we’ll be most interested in setting a framework, an environment where he’s comfortable. Where he can be Victor. He’s not LeBron or Tim or Kobe or anybody else, he’s Victor and that’s who we want him to be,” the coach said.
That’s one of the many reasons why the Spurs were the perfect organization for him. Popovich will keep the main thing first and won’t be distracted by all the outside noise.
Every player has a different path to stardom. The Spurs have a long track record of success developing players, but there are no guarantees when it comes to the NBA Draft.