The San Antonio Spurs’ No. 1 overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, made his NBA Summer League debut on Friday night, scoring 9 points in a 76-68 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The nearly 7-foot-4 center has been touted as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James, and has been turning heads in France. He’s the first No. 1 overall pick to ever come out of France, and is the first European player to go first in the draft without playing NCAA college basketball since 2006. He’s coming off a season in the French LNB Pro A league where he led the league in points, rebounds and blocks while both earning the league MVP and leading his team to the Finals.
Wembanyama shot 2-of-13 from the field in his Summer League debut, but he showed flashes of his potential as a dominant force on both ends of the court. He had several highlight-reel blocks and dunks, and he also showed a good passing touch. Overall, it was a promising debut for Wembanyama, who is considered to be one of the most talented young players in the NBA.
The Spurs are hoping that Wembanyama can help them return to contention in the Western Conference. They have not made the playoffs since 2017, but they have a young and talented roster that includes Wembanyama, Dejounte Murray, and Josh Primo. If Wembanyama can live up to his potential, he could be the player who leads the Spurs back to the top of the NBA.