Victor Wembanyama, with his eight-foot wingspan, certainly didn’t need a selfie stick. But a smartphone would have been nice.
The presumed No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft provided plenty of entertainment when he tuned into the lottery at 2 a.m. in Paris.
Before NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum even took the stage to announce which team won the sweepstakes for one of the most highly anticipated prospects in league history, the 19-year-old was caught on camera capturing the moment by taking a selfie with his parents…with a disposable camera.
Naturally, NBA Twitter ate it up.
Minutes later, Tatum announced the San Antonio Spurs as the lucky recipients of the top overall pick, making the selfie moment all the more fitting.
The last time San Antonio had the No. 1 overall pick? 1997, when general manager and first-year head coach selected Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest. Duncan had a selfie moment of his own back in 1997, before taking the stage en route to a Hall of Fame career headlined by five NBA championships.
If history is any indication, the Spurs have a pretty good track record with the No. 1 overall pick. Outside of Duncan, their only other opportunity came ten years earlier when they selected David Robinson. The Naval Academy product became a 10-time All-Star and was named league MVP in 1995.
Wembanyama’s selfie wasn’t the only moment that highlighted his unreal size.
Listed as 7-foot-5 in shoes, the Frenchman is already set to be one of the tallest players in the NBA next season.
This watch party in Paris came after an eventful Tuesday for the teenager. Hours before, he had put up 18 points and nine rebounds in a 93-85 win for Metropolis 92 – right in front of fellow French phenom, soccer star Kylian Mbappe.
Despite being separated by a foot-and-a-half, they remain two of France’s most exciting athletes.
