Logue Down: NBL was in mix to secure projected No. 1 NBA draft pick Victor Wembanyama as a Next Star
The NBL has hosted some of the world’s hottest young players, but Logue Down can reveal just how close it came to bringing incredible French prospect Victor Wembanyama Down Under.
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A “confident” NBL was in the mix to secure seven-foot French sensation and fancied 2023 No.1 NBA draft pick Victor Wembanyama as a Next Star signing this season.
In the end, Wembanyama opted to sign in the French league as a pathway to America, but the Australian league was a serious contender.
NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger revealed the league presented the rising French star with a commercial proposition and had a club lined up for him to play at.
There were even conversations about bringing the gifted forward’s family to Australia for the season.
At the time, Wembanyama was playing under NBA legend Tony Parker at ASVEL in France.
Loeliger remembers watching the rising talent play in Lyon and feeling like “he didn’t get the opportunity, that with the benefit of hindsight, he deserved because he can definitely play in that league and at that level.”
Wembanyama opted out of his ASVEL contract at season’s end, opening the door for Loeliger to propose a deal to the youngster that had been previously knocked back with a polite: thanks for asking, but no Victor is staying put.
“At that point we were right in the mix,” Loeliger told News Corp.
“There was a club that had a spot for Victor, and we were all pretty confident that he’d get a good opportunity to play big minutes, which would catapult him into the No. 1 position for the draft.
“I don’t want to put a name to the club because I don’t want to upset anyone on the roster as to whether or not they were in mind for the role, but there was a head coach, a GM and I who were starting to get a little bit excited that this was getting a bit of traction.”
Wembanyama opted against the NBL route, deciding to sign with Metropolitans 92 in Paris under current French national coach Victor Collet in July last year.
According to Loeliger, the forward’s family also played a significant role in his choice to stay at home for one more season.
“I can only give you my impression of the conversation, but I’m told the reason he decided to go to Paris Metropolitan is because his parents were really keen for him to spend one more year in Paris given he was about to go and spend the rest of his career most likely in the NBA,” he said.
“I think his parents also wanted to stay in France because we’d spoken about them all coming out and spending a season in Australia together, but they were very adamant about remaining in France.
“The other factor was Vincent Collet is the coach of the national team.
“They were pretty compelling reasons that we couldn’t really begrudge, but we were really grateful to have had the conversation.
“It would have been a great outcome, but he has done incredible things for French basketball to have him playing in the LMB this year at such a high level.
Wembanyama is averaging 22.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game for Metropolitans 92 in France‘s top men’s pro league.
He is also 7’4“ barefoot with an 8’0” wingspan and has shown an ability to shoot it from deep.
It’s a potent package that has many NBA experts hailing Wembanyama a lock to go No. 1 in this year’s draft no matter who is making the selection.
Despite missing out on the world’s best rising talent, Loeliger is happy with how the NBL’s Next Star program is tracking.
He has been highly impressed with Breakers’ French Next Star forward Rayan Rupert, who is currently ranked at 18 in a recent NBA mock draft.
Loeliger also has high hopes for United’s injured Next Star in German big man Ariel Hukporti.
“I’m still really confident in the program and our recruitment conversations for next season are really promising,” he said.
“I think the key to the program’s success in the longer term is having that good mix of American, European and Australian talent.”
ROOKIE AWARD DEBATE:
The NBL’s decision to replace the prestigious Rookie of the Year award with a Next Generation Award has sparked passionate debate – and not everyone is happy with the change.
Instead of rewarding a player in his first season, all players under the age of 25 on April 30 of the relevant season are eligible to win the Next Gen award.
It means a player like Illawarra’s Sam Froling, who is in his third NBL season, has emerged as a leading candidate to win the Next Gen award.
Cairns forward Sam Waardenburg had been favoured to win the Rookie of the Year award following a standout maiden season at the Taipans.
Waardenburg, who has averaged 10.1 points and 4.65 rebounds on 53 per cent shooting from the field, could now miss out on an award with other players like Froling in arguably superior form.
On the flip side, impressive South East Melbourne Phoenix rookie guard Junior Madut is eligible for the Next Generation award because he is 25.
NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger believes the change will provide a more meaningful representation of the immense talent among the league’s emerging superstars.
However, a significant portion of people disagree, including Sydney Kings owner and chairman Paul Smith.
“The rookie of the year is a universally accepted and adopted award in every league that you go to,” Smith said.
“The NBA has the rookie of the year as the benchmark. It’s semantics and window dressing. They (the NBL) are just reacting.
“I think there can be both awards if that is what they want to do. There can be a true rookie and also have a Next Gen award, but why drop that classic rookie of the year award?
“It’s a first-year player that comes in and excels and that’s it.
“I don’t understand why we can’t have both awards.”
All head coaches, assistant coaches and captains will vote for the Next Generation Award.
The Next Generation Award, along with all other awards for the season, will be announced at the Andrew Gaze MVP Night on February 7.
ROSEN RECEIVES KINGS’ TOP HONOUR:
Former Sydney Kings captain and championship-winning assistant coach Brad Rosen has achieved a lot in his basketball career, but it takes something significant to make him emotional.
One of those moments came on Wednesday when Rosen was told he’d been voted by the club’s members and fans to receive the Ring of Honour award, which recognises players for being: the most entertaining; the most courageous; a great teammate; or those who gave back to our community.
“It nearly brought a tear to my eye to be honest with you,” said Rosen, who played 99 NBL games for the Kings over five seasons and won the award ahead of
“I’m not short of a word, but I was for the first time when I was told I’d won the award.
“22 years after I’d retired to be nominated and thinking, ‘that is huge’, to then win it alongside names like Ben Madgen, Brad Rosen, Leon Trimmingham, Bruce Bolden, BJ Carter and Marc Ridlen is a huge honour.”
VANDERJAGT PUTS HAND IN BULLETS’ COACHING MIX:
The Brisbane Bullets search for a new coach continues, but current interim Greg Vanderjagt says he wants to coach the Bullets beyond this season.
After a torrid season on the sidelines, the Bullets installed Vanderjagt as their third coach of NBL23 and the former Townsville Crocs and Gold Coast Blaze big man might finally have unlocked the key to the struggling squad.
Following multiple 30 and 40-point embarrassments, the Bullets backed up a close loss to Melbourne United by putting a severe dent in South East Melbourne’s play-in hopes with a surprise upset.
The Logue Down is hearing that Brisbane won’t sign an American coach while former Phoenix assistant coach Judd Flavell keeps being mentioned.
In the meantime, it hasn’t stopped Vanderjagt from putting his name in the ring.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t have an appetite for it,” Vanderjagt said, when asked if he wanted to coach the Bullets beyond the end of the season.
“It’s a lot to navigate through and keep a group that is not going to play playoff basketball engaged.
“I think the guys have done a great job of responding every time we hit a wall. “Whatever decision the club makes — and there’s a process that the club will go through — whether or not I get the opportunity to do this moving forward, I don’t know.”
HOOPS COMMUNITY PAYS TRIBUTE TO LEADER:
Basketball’s biggest names community have come together to pay tribute to NBL great Mark Leader following his death this week.
Leader played 327 NBL games, scored over 4,000 points and won two championships with the North Melbourne Giants, captaining the Giants to the 1994 title.
He began his NBL career with the Devonport Warriors in 1983, becoming player/coach in 1984 before moving to Geelong in 1987.
Leader was also the first player in NBL history to record four triple-doubles, averaging 12.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 12 seasons.
Tigers legend Andrew Gaze had many battles against Leader’s Giants, but the respect and mutual admiration was always high.
“Heartbroken to hear that Mark has passed away,” Gaze said on Instagram.
“He made an enormous contribution to the NBL and Australian basketball.
“One of the most fierce competitors and great blokes. Condolences to the family. He’ll be greatly missed. RIP Mark.”
NBL ROUND 16 DRAW:
Thursday:
New Zealand Breakers vs Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena from 5.30pm (AEDT)
Brisbane Bullets vs Adelaide 36ers at Nissan Arena from 7.30pm (AEDT)
Friday:
Cairns Taipans vs Tasmania JackJumpers at Cairns Convection Centre from 7.30pm (AEDT)
Perth Wildcats vs Sydney Kings at RAC Arena from 9.30pm (AEDT)
Saturday:
Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets at WIN Entertainment Centre from 5.30pm (AEDT)
Adelaide 36ers vs. Melbourne United at Adelaide Entertainment Centre from 8pm (AEDT)
Sunday:
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Perth Wildcats at the State Basketball Centre from 2pm (AEDT)
Sydney Kings vs New Zealand Breakers at Qudos Bank Arena from 4pm (AEDT)
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