French teenager Victor Wembanyama taken with first pick in 2023 NBA Draft to San Antonio Spurs

The ‘greatest prospect in the history of team sports’ has finally been coronated with the top overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, as basketball prepares for a new era.

Victor Wembanyama cries after being selected number one overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

France’s Victor Wembanyama was chosen with the top pick in the NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, sparking wild celebrations as the Texas franchise revelled in landing the gifted teenager seen as a once-in-a-generation talent.

The 7ft 4in (2.24m) 19-year-old hugged family members as the Spurs confirmed a decision which had been a mere formality ever since San Antonio were handed the No. 1 selection in the Draft last month.

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“Just accomplishing something that I’ve been dreaming about my whole life,” a tearful Wembanyama told ESPN following the selection revealed by NBA commissioner Adam Silver at the Barclays Center in New York.

“Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver, I’ve dreamt of it so much – I’ve gotta cry,” Wembanyama added.

"Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver, I've dreamed of it so much."

—Victor Wembanyama and his siblings were emotional after he was drafted No. 1 overall pic.twitter.com/YRlkTcMpbl

— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2023

Wembanyama is widely regarded as a transformational talent, who arrives in the NBA as the most coveted No. 1 pick since LeBron James entered the league in 2003.

In San Antonio, Spurs fans packed into the team’s 19,000-capacity AT&T Center to watch the draft ceremony on a giant screen and roared their appreciation as Wembanyama’s selection was confirmed.

Wembanyama has cut a relaxed figure since arriving in the United States earlier this week, brushing off the soaring hype that has surged in the build-up to the draft.

On Thursday, the Frenchman, wearing a dark green suit, happily signed autographs for fans in the minutes before the draft ceremony got under way.

Wembanyama’s selection concludes years of speculation as to the extent of his talent. (Photo by Sarah Stier / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

In an interview with ESPN before his selection, Wembanyama said he was relishing the challenge of being a star both on and off the court.

“I know I can bring so much more than just basketball to a franchise,” Wembanyama said.

“My goal is always going to be to win titles, obviously. But also to the community, the franchise, to the fan base I know I can bring so much more.”

San Antonio general manager Brian Wright sees Wembanyama, who will be formally unveiled by the team in Texas on Saturday, as a “unique talent.”

“People talk about generational talent, and they only think on-court skill, but it’s bigger than that,” Wright told ESPN.

“You see him doing things that you wouldn’t even have guessed someone could do.”

With his potentially dominant blend of size and skill, Wembanyama has already drawn a legion of admirers across the NBA before even setting foot in the league.

Wembanyama is almost universally considered the most talented prospect since LeBron James. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

LeBron James says Wembanyama’s skillet makes him less a “unicorn” and “more like an alien.” “No one has ever seen someone as tall as he is and as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor,” James said last year.

“He’s for sure a generational talent.”

If Wembanyama manages to live up to the hype, he could conceivably be one of the faces of the NBA for years to come, with the likes of stars such as James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant all well into the final phase of their playing careers.

NBA officials, meanwhile, say there is already evidence of a “Wembanyama effect”, citing spikes on streaming platforms and social media.

“Victor is an incredibly promising young player who seemingly has all the attributes of a true game-changer,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said.

“We’ve already seen the enormous interest he has generated among NBA fans from streaming his games on the NBA App and featuring his highlights on NBA social media channels.”

Wembanyama’s family were present for the life-changing moment. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

ESPN’s SportsCenter described Wembanyama as joining a “legendary” class of San Antonio top overall picks, with the Frenchman the third to join the franchise after Tim Duncan in 1997 and David Robinson in 1987.

Basketball journalist Adrian Wojnarowski has labelled Wembanyama “maybe the greatest prospect in the history of team sports.”

2023 NBA Draft - first round
1. Victor Wembanyama (C - Metropolitans 92) – San Antonio Spurs

2. Brandon Miller (G - Alabama) – Charlotte Hornets

3. Scoot Henderson (F - G League Ignite) – Portland Trail Blazers

4. Amen Thompson (G - Overtime Elite) – Houston Rockets

5. Ausar Thompson (G/F - Overtime Elite) – Detroit Pistons

6. Anthony Black (G - Arkansas) – Orlando Magic

7. Bilal Coulibaly (G - Metropolitans 92) – Washington Wizards (via Indiana Pacers)

8. Jarace Walker (F - Houston) – Indiana Pacers (via Washington Wizards)

9. Taylor Hendricks (F - UCF) – Utah Jazz

10. Cason Wallace (G - Kentucky) - Oklahoma City Thunder (via Dallas Mavericks)

11. Jett Howard (F - Michigan) - Orlando Magic (via Chicago Bulls)

12. Dereck Lively (C - Duke) - Dallas Mavericks (via Oklahoma City Thunder)

13. Gradey Dick (G - Kansas) - Toronto Raptors

14. Jordan Hawkins (G - UConn) - New Orleans Pelicans

15. Kobe Bufkin (G - Michigan) - Atlanta Hawks

16. Keyonte George (G - Baylor) - Utah Jazz (via Minnesota Timberwolves)

17. Jalen Hood-Schifino (G - Indiana)

18. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (F - UCLA) - Miami Heat

19. Brandin Podziemski (G - Santa Clara) - Golden State Warriors

20. Cam Whitmore (F - Villanova) - Houston Rockets (via Los Angeles Clippers)

21. Noah Clowney (F/C - Alabama) - Brooklyn Nets (via Phoenix Suns)

22. Dariq Whitehead (F - Duke) - Brooklyn Nets

23. Kris Murray (F - Iowa) - Portland Trail Blazers (via New York Knicks)

24. Olivier-Maxence Prosper (F - Marquette) - Dallas Mavericks (via Sacramento Kings)

25. Marcus Sasser (G - Houston) - Detroit Pistons (via Boston Celtics)

26. Ben Sheppard (F - Belmont) - Indiana Pacers (via Cleveland Cavaliers)

27. Nick Smith Jr. (G - Arkansas) - Charlotte Hornets (via Denver Nuggets)

28. Brice Sensabaugh (G/F - Ohio State) - Utah Jazz (via Philadelphia 76ers)

29. Julian Strawther (F - Gonzaga) - Denver Nuggets (via Indiana Pacers)

30. Kobe Brown (F - Missouri) - Los Angeles Clippers (via Milwaukee Bucks)

Originally published as French teenager Victor Wembanyama taken with first pick in 2023 NBA Draft to San Antonio Spurs