The 19-year-old star-in-the-making in France was selected first overall in the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. The club is the perfect match for Victor Wembanyama, according to former French player Boris Diaw, who used to play for the Texas-based team.
French basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama officially joined the San Antonio Spurs after being drafted at No. 1 overall on Thursday.
Hailing from French basketball club Metropolitans 92, the 19-year-old player, who was recently named Most Valuable Player in the French LNB league, could not have hoped for a better club to call home.
“Saint Anthony… [comes with] a history and a culture of winning like none other,” Wembanyama told Qatar-based sports channel beIN Sports last month, referring to the five-time NBA champions whose past icons include Frenchman Tony Parker .
The San Antonio Spurs have shown in the past thirty years that they are one of the best teams in the North American basketball league.
Spurs’ ‘winning culture’
In the NBA, the worst performing teams in the league get first picks in the draft, which allows them access to the best young basketball players.
With the second-worst record last season (20 wins to 62 losses), the San Antonio Spurs won the first pick after winning the May 16 draft lottery.
But unlike other teams that were also given top spots in the draft, San Antonio boasts an impressive record, having brought home NBA titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
The Texan club also participated in the playoffs – the championship finals – for twenty-two consecutive years between 1998 and 2019, an NBA record (shared by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1950s and 1960s).
“Usually, there are cycles in the NBA with good periods that last for several years, followed by periods of rebuilding, so staying in twenty-two consecutive playoff periods, which have the goal to win the title every year, it’s amazing,” said former France team captain Boris Diaw, who won his first NBA championship with the Spurs in 2014 during his time at the club.
“And even though San Antonio has been going through this rebuilding period for quite some time now, this culture of winning is still there,” Diaw said.
Over the years, the Spurs have shown their ability to nurture promising young players who will become basketball stars.
World-famous NBA players such as David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard have all marked the club’s history.
“[Wembanyama] will might be under less pressure than he might have been with other clubs,” Diaw said. “The Spurs know how to protect their players to help them grow as much as they can.”
Legendary Coach Pop
A key to Wembanyama’s potential success with the Spurs is head coach Gregg Popovich.
Considered one of the top coaches in basketball history, Popovich has been on the Texas team’s bench since 1996, making him not only the longest-serving coach in the NBA, but also the longest-serving coach of all time. coach of the big four North. American sports leagues (American soccer, baseball, basketball and ice hockey).
Popovich’s several decades of presence with the Spurs allowed him to implement a style and method to help train the club’s players.
“[Wembanyama] will have one of the best coaches in the history of the NBA”, said Parker, former point guard of the Spurs, last month on the French radio station RTL.
Popovich, also known as “Coach Pop”, played a major role in the creation of four-time NBA champion Parker, who was awarded the Finals MVP in 2007 and will soon become the first Frenchman to enter the NBA Hall of Fame.
“He is a coach who is both strong, because he is very demanding, and very close to his players,” said Diaw.
“I remember spending Christmas Eve at his place with Tony [Parker] in 2002, I had not played in the NBA yet,” recalled Diaw. “I’m surprised that a player would spend Christmas at his coach’s house. Then, at some point in the evening, I realized that Pop and Tony were missing. I looked around the house. And there I found them in a room watching videos with Pop showing Tony what he did wrong in the last game. Even on Christmas Eve, he wanted Tony to improve. That pretty much sums up his character.”
“We have a responsibility to each and everyone to create an environment where they can reach the best success possible for them.” 🌟 pic.twitter.com/6GXBfJwbH0
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 23, 2023
Popovich is also known to adapt his coaching style to players’ strengths and weaknesses as well as their preferences.
The coach is unlikely to force a tall player like Wembanyama to play in the center despite his impressive height –Wembanyama measures 7ft 5 in shoes, making him one of the tallest players in the league – because of his preference to play power forward or farther from the basket as a point guard.
Despite his contract expiring at the age of 74, Popovich is expected to stay with the club for several seasons, according to US sports magazine Sports Illustrated.
A club that welcomes international players
Popovich is not the only reason why the Spurs proved to be a perfect match for Wembanyama. The Texan club has long cultivated a welcoming atmosphere for its talent from abroad.
“In San Antonio, there’s a certain understanding of the players and the style of play that you can have internationally,” Diaw said.
“But the difference in their approach is mainly on a personal level. They have an understanding of different cultures and help the players adapt to life in the United States,” he added.
There are a total of five French players who have played in Spurs colors to date, including Parker (2001-2018), Diaw (2012-2016), Ian Mahinmi (2007-2010), Nando De Colo (2012 -2014) and Joffrey Lauvergne (2017- 2018).
Other international players such as Argentinians Manu Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto, Slovenian Rasho Nesterovic, Brazilian Tiago Splitter, Australian Patty Mills and Spaniard Pau Gasol have also worn Spurs jerseys.
Popovich is also known for his reluctance to allow foreign players to participate in international competitions, while other NBA coaches and clubs are more reluctant to do so.
“The international players’ desire to play for their country is supported by the club’s staff and management,” said Diaw.
During their time with the Spurs, Parker and Diaw were both forced to rest during the summer instead of playing for the French national team.
This means that Wembanyama will be available to play in the World Cup (August 25-September 10 in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia) with France despite his upcoming transfer to San Antonio.
This article is adapted from the original in French.
