Wembanyama chosen by Spurs with No. 1 pick in NBA Draft

NEW YORK -- 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 club reveled in landing the gifted teenager seen as a once-in-a-generation talent.

The 7-foot-4 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.

"Just accomplishing something that I've been dreaming about my whole life," Wembanyama said after his No. 1 status was announced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver at the Barclays Center in New York.

"Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver, I've dreamed of it so much -- I've gotta cry," he added.

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 with delight as Wembanyama's selection was confirmed.

Celebrations also erupted in the streets of the Texas city, with fans honking car horns in celebration of Wembanyama's selection.

"My message to them is I'm going to give 100 percent, make all that's in my power to make this franchise win, to have impact on the franchise and the fan base and the community," Wembanyama said.

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.

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.

More than basketball 

"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."

Wembanyama will begin his NBA career under the watchful eye of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the widely revered 74-year-old who has led San Antonio to five NBA Championships since taking over in 1996.

"We're thrilled that we're able to bring Victor on board," Popovich said at a press conference in San Antonio on Thursday.

"Anybody would be excited about getting the number one pick. I'm very excited. You don't want me to jump and down, or put on a show do you? I'd do a somersault but I'd be out for three months."

Popovich, meanwhile, brushed off invitations to compare Wembanyama with some of the greats of NBA history.

"I don't compare players, that'll never happen," Popovich said. "He's Victor -- and that's who I want him to be, and that's who myself and my staff will coach."

Wembanyama meanwhile earned a congratulatory message from France's President Emmanuel Macron.

"You're already making us dream...no doubt about it: you'll change the game," Macron wrote on Twitter.

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.

LeBron James says Wembanyama's skillset 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.

Agence France-Presse

All eyes on 'game-changer' Wembanyama at NBA Draft

NEW YORK -- A new era for basketball gets under way on Thursday when French prodigy Victor Wembanyama is set to be chosen by the San Antonio Spurs with the top pick in the NBA Draft.

The annual ritual to allocate the top young talent entering the league is often accompanied by a swirl of intrigue over which player is likely to be selected No. 1 overall.

But that guessing game will be notably absent at Thursday's event in Brooklyn, with San Antonio's selection of the 19-year-old Wembanyama a mere formality.

The 7ft 4in (2.24m) French teenager is widely regarded as a transformational talent, a once-in-a-generation player regarded as the most sought-after No. 1 pick since LeBron James entered the league two decades ago.

Wild celebrations erupted among San Antonio's fans last month when the Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery to determine which team would own the No. 1 pick.

Spurs staff also struggled in vain to keep a lid on their excitement, with chairman Peter J. Holt admitting: "I might faint."

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," Wright added.

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.

LeBron James says Wembanyama's skillset 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 after watching Wembanyama play a game for French club Metropolitans 92 in Nevada last year. "He's for sure a generational talent."

- 'True game-changer' -

Wembanyama, meanwhile, has remained level-headed as the hype surrounding reaches stratospheric levels.

The teenager arrived in New Jersey on Monday for draft week to be greeted by fans clad in Spurs jerseys requesting autographs.

"I don't know how they knew what flight I was on," Wembanyama said.

"But you know, it's fun, it's different, seeing that you can have such impact on people."

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.

"The league would love to have new stars that capture the imagination of America and the world," said Eric Pincus, an NBA writer for the Bleacher Report website. "Luka Doncic is a starting point, but the hope is Wembanyama will do the same."

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."

Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama's arrival in the NBA has sparked a commercial bonanza.

He is widely expected to sign a record-breaking, improved sponsorship deal with Nike that some analysts say could reach $100 million.

Other lucrative endorsement deals are also expected to follow, although Wembanyama has indicated that his priority remains on-court success.

"Victor is rejecting some rich million-dollar deals right now because he wants to focus on basketball," Wembanyama's agent, Bouna Ndiaye, said.

Agence France-Presse

Legendary 'Coach Pop' to oversee Wembanyama's NBA start

NEW YORK -- Victor Wembanyama's early NBA days will be overseen by one of the league's most legendary coaches, outspoken Gregg Popovich, who helped transform another French teen, Tony Parker, into a superstar.

Popovich, the 74-year-old son of a Serbian father and Croatian mother, is the longest-tenured coach in any major American sports league, having guided the Spurs since 1996.

With discipline and priorities formed while at the US Air Force Academy in the 1960s, Popovich has become a five-time NBA champion head coach, a three-time NBA Coach of the Year and in August will be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

"What makes a great coach is getting a lot of young men and helping them become men, adding to their life," said NBA guard Dwyane Wade. "Coach Pop has done an amazing job of helping young men become grown-ass men."

Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who won two NBA titles playing under Popovich, praised his impact.

"He's amazing," Kerr said. "There are just so many people like me whose lives have been impacted so dramatically and so positively by Pop. One of the most influential people ever in my life. I owe him so much."

Popovich mentored top draft pick Tim Duncan in 1997 and Parker when he came to the NBA in 2001.

"I loved playing for Pop," Parker said. "Pop was huge. I always trust Pop's judgment."

Popovich accepts the challenge of a new generation with Wembanyama, the most talented prospect since LeBron James with size like Duncan and Parker-esque skills.

"He has still got it. He can do this for a lot longer," said Kerr. "One of Pop's great abilities has been his willingness and eagerness to adapt.

"He really understood what was happening around the league with speed, pace and ball movement. He was ahead of the curve all the time."

The Spurs, who made the playoffs 22 straight years under Pop, have missed the playoffs for four seasons, going 20-62 this past campaign.

A grizzled, gritty and sometimes grumpy Popovich will try to teach Wembanyama to maximize his unique talents as he did with Parker.

"At one of (Parker's) first practices, I brought a few guys to get in his face," Popovich said. "I wanted to see what he had in the belly. I was impressed with him. So I told him, 'The ball is yours, find solutions, I'll love you and yell at you at the same time.'"

Popovich embraced global talent early, bringing more than 40 players from beyond US borders onto the Spurs roster, and made Becky Hammon the NBA's first female assistant coach.

Popovich passed Lenny Wilkens to become the NBA's all-time winningest coach in 2019 with his 1,413th career triumph in playoff and regular-season games.

In 2022, he won an NBA record 1,336th regular-season game, accepting the feat with sarcasm.

"What I could do in my retirement, what kind of wine I could drink, all these things become bland when I think about the number of victories I have," Popovich deadpanned.

Humor is one of the ways Popovich measures people, saying in 2015 that those "who don't appreciate funny moments won't be able to give their all for a group."

- Social justice champion -

Popovich, a noted wine collector, is also outspoken on social justice.

Popovich spoke out about reparations for Black people in 2020, saying protests helped "get all the way to the reparations discussion and not just wait for legislation and laws."

Last July, Popovich ripped "rampant" US racism, saying, "I had no idea it was to this level... it pisses me off, it hurts me, it confounds me."

After 21 people were killed in a Texas elementary school shooting, Popovich railed against officials sending "thoughts and prayers" without changing gun laws.

"They're the same statements after every massacre," he said. "They think we're stupid so they'll keep bringing it up, but they'll listen to us if we're angry enough and we're committed enough."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Pelicans pick Zion Williamson No. 1 overall

It's official: Zion Williamson is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

"I dreamed about this since I was 4," Williamson said Thursday as he was picked by the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Pelicans selected the Duke power forward with the top selection, finalizing a decision considered a foregone conclusion since the draft lottery last month. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound Williamson wore a cream-colored suit jacket and sat with family members as he heard his name called at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

"I don't know what to say," Williamson said, breaking down into tears in an interview with ESPN immediately following the pick. "I didn't think I'd be in this position. My mom sacrificed a lot for me. I wouldn't be here without her.

"She put her dreams aside for mine. She always looked out for the family first before herself."

Williamson, the college basketball player of the year, dominated in his only season at the collegiate level. He averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while making 33 starts.

He added 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game with an elite combination of size and athleticism.

The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native immediately will become the face of the Pelicans' franchise. New Orleans went 33-49 last season and recently agreed to a blockbuster deal to send center Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package of players and picks.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pelicans eye Williamson, future in NBA Draft

NEW YORK -- Teenage star Zion Williamson is set to be chosen with the top pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday as the New Orleans Pelicans launch their quest to build a team of championship contenders.

Williamson, who turns 19 on July 6, is the overwhelming favourite to be chosen with the number one selection after a dazzling season in college basketball with Duke University.

The 6 ft 7in (2.01m) teenager, who weighs in at 285 pounds (129kg), is regarded by many experts as the sort of once in a generation talent capable of reaching the pinnacle of the NBA.

Williamson, who averaged averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game for Duke before declaring for the draft in April, offers a rare mix of imposing size and explosive athleticism.

"There are some things he obviously needs to work on, but at 6-7, 285, people ask who does he remind me of? Nobody," said NBA TV analyst Steve Smith.

"There is not anyone I've seen like this (at that size). No one has jumped like this. There is nobody he reminds me of."

While Williamson's skills were not enough to carry Duke to the championship, his talent did see him win the Naismith College Player of the Year award.

That achievement placed him in elite company alongside Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis as the only freshman winners of the honour.

Las Vegas bookmakers, meanwhile, have already installed Williamson as a 2/9 favourite to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award in 2020.

For Pelicans president of basketball operations, David Griffin, Thursday's draft is a chance to reshape the franchise.

The Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a blockbuster trade on Saturday which will see Anthony Davis heading to the Lakers to form a partnership with LeBron James.

In return, New Orleans acquired the Lakers' Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart as well as three first-round picks -- including the number four overall selection in Thursday's draft.

The Davis trade has given New Orleans added negotiating muscle for the draft. Reports on Monday said the Pelicans were contemplating swapping the number four pick in exchange for a more proven player.

The New York Post meanwhile reported that the Pelicans were even exploring the possibility of trading up to secure the number two pick in order to land Williamson's former Duke team-mate and close friend R.J. Barrett, who had been expected to be chosen third by the New York Knicks.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LaMelo Ball likely headed to China or Australia -- report

LaMelo Ball, the youngest of the three basketball-playing Ball brothers, likely will play professionally in China or Australia before entering his name in the 2020 NBA Draft.

That's according to a SLAM Magazine feature story on Ball, who played his senior season at the Spire Institute in Ohio.

That could change if the NCAA gives the OK to allow him to play in college, but he already has played professionally -- even though his family contends he wasn't paid.

His father, LaVar Ball, pulled him out of Chino Hills (Calif.) High School in October 2017, expressing he could better prepare him for an NBA career than school could. 

The elder Ball took sons LaMelo and LiAngelo to play in Lithuania, and they also played in the Junior Basketball Association.

Their older brother, Lonzo, was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 6-foot-6 LaMelo, a guard, is projected as anywhere from the 12th to the 33rd selection in 2020 NBA mock drafts.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Sixers take guard Fultz with top pick of NBA Draft

NEW YORK -- The Philadelphia 76ers selected University of Washington guard Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday, launching an infusion of talented youth into the league.

The first seven picks of the draft entered as college freshman and 18-year-old Frenchman Frank Ntilikina was taken by the New York Knicks with the eighth choice.

The first player taken who had spent a sophomore year in college was 12th pick Luke Kennard of Duke, taken by Detroit. A record 16 freshman were selected in the first round.

First-pick Fultz bolstered the 76ers young core as a 19-year-old playmaker.

Philadelphia went all out to get their man, trading their third overall pick plus a future first-round pick to the Boston Celtics to secure the Maryland native.

Known for his all around offensive ability and athleticism, Fultz starred in his lone year at the University of Washington, averaging 23 points per game, along with more than five rebounds and five assists.

"It was unbelievable, really," said Fultz when asked about the feeling of crossing the stage after being announced as top pick. "It was something out of a dream."

The 6-foot-4 guard became the second consecutive number one overall pick by Philadelphia, following forward Ben Simmons last year.

  
Fultz, Simmons and another recent Sixers high draft pick, Joel Embiid, form a promising young trio that could allow Philadelphia to rise from the lower depths of the league.

The Los Angeles Lakers used the second pick to select homegrown guard Lonzo Ball of UCLA, who led college basketball in assists.

At 6-foot-6, Ball plays a style that harkens back to the "Showtime" days of the Lakers, dishing off no-look passes, launching threes and finishing at the hoop with rim-jarring slam dunks.

Ball became the first high-profile draftee under the regime of new Lakers head of basketball operations Magic Johnson.

"It's crazy, I couldn't ask for anything more, to be able to learn from (Johnson) every day is truly a blessing," Ball said.

Boston, the first team to trade the number one pick before or during the first round of the draft in 24 years, used the third overall pick to add small forward Jayson Tatum of Duke, one of the most polished scorers in college basketball.

Phoenix selected versatile forward Josh Jackson from Kansas with the fourth choice before ultra quick point guard De'Aaron Fox of Kentucky was snapped up by the Sacramento Kings.

"Speed kills and you can't teach it," said Fox.

With the seventh pick the Minnesota Timberwolves claimed Lauri Markkanen of Finland, who played college ball at Arizona, but the Finn will be headed to Chicago as part of a big trade for All-Star guard Jimmy Butler.

After the Knicks selected promising French guard Ntilikina, who is flying right back to Strausbourg to help his club try to win their league championship, two other international players were taken in the first round.

Briton OG Anunoby was taken 23rd overall by the Toronto Raptors, becoming the highest drafted English player, and Anžejs Pasečņiks of Latvia was selected 25th overall by the Orlando Magic.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Knicks pick Porzingis ready to turn around boos from hometown fans

NEW YORK - Latvia's Kristaps Porzingis received a rough welcome to U.S. professional basketball on Thursday, when fans of the New York Knicks booed their team's selection of the 19-year-old with the fourth pick in the NBA draft.

But the slender, 7-foot-1 (2.16 m) forward Porzingis took the reception in his stride, acknowledging that New York fans are "a little harsh sometimes, but ... I'm ready for it."

"A lot of fans weren't happy that they drafted me," Porzingis told reporters.

"But I have to do everything that's in my hands to turn those booing fans into clapping fans."

While seen as having massive potential, disapproving Knicks fans fear that it will take years to realize that promise and Porzingis has realized he needs to bulk up and get stronger.

"For me, it is a dream come true to play for the Knicks," said Porzingis, who eagerly held up his New York jersey with his name and the number 15 emblazoned on it.

Porzingis, the first European player selected at this year's draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, excited NBA scouts with a deft shooting touch and perimeter skills to go along with his length.

The Knicks hope he can help rebuild the team following a dismal season in which they lost 65 games and finished last in the Eastern Conference.

"I think I have enough talent to be that special player to help a franchise get better results," Porzingis said.

"I want to be that guy."

Porzingis became the second Latvian player drafted by the NBA. Andris Biedrins was selected 11th by the Golden State Warriors in 2004.

"He was a guy I looked up to, so hopefully now I can be that guy in Latvia for kids to look up to," Porzingis said.

Porzingis said it would be a "blessing" to play under Knicks president Phil Jackson, a former player for New York and 11-time NBA champion coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

European players picked high have a mixed NBA track record. Not since Dirk Nowitzki was taken in 1998 and Pau Gasol in 2001 has a European selected in the lottery become an All-Star in the league.

"For those people who don't know me, they might think I'm a soft European," Porzingis said.

"There have been busts before. I'm different."

(Editing by Larry Fine)

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