Kiko Martinez
Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama poses with a basketball during the team’s recent media day.
The words echoed through the Alamo City like the majestic church bells at Mission San José: “With the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Victor Wembanyama.”
In June, for the third time in Spurs history, the team landed the league’s top draft pick. David Robinson, whom the team landed in 1987, was the first. Then, a decade later, Tim Duncan graced us with his bank shot and changed the trajectory of the organization forever.
Now, 26 years and five NBA championships after Duncan’s arrival, San Antonio is hoping Wembanyama, who was born seven months after the Spurs won their second ring in 2003, can lead them to victory once again.
It’s a lot to ask any 19-year-old, but it’s a challenge the French-born athlete was built for.
At Spurs Media Day earlier this month, Wembanyama told the Current and a gym full of reporters how he views his upcoming rookie season, which begins Oct. 25 at home against the Dallas Mavericks.
“All my expectations are really to learn how to win as quick as possible,” he said.
After missing the playoffs for the past four seasons — before that, the team tied the NBA record of 22 consecutive appearances — Spurs fans are hoping the rookie’s learning curve is brisk. They’re eager to rediscover that championship mentality and do it on the shoulders of a basketball phenom looking to leave his mark like the Hall of Fame players who came before him.
However, the basketball court isn’t the only place Wembanyama is expected to make a major difference as a Spur.
San Antonio’s culture and landscape are already changing in his presence. Speculation is percolating that the team is exploring the possibility of building a new downtown arena because of our new 7-foot-4 resident. And this is before Wemby has played a single second of official NBA basketball.
Imagine what happens if he ends up becoming the generational player many are predicting him to be.
The upcoming season will include 19 nationally televised Spurs games — 12 of them at home — which is easily the most the team has received during its recent seasons of rebuilding. A new arena could make sense if Wembanyama soars — and if it turns out Spurs fans aren’t the only ones watching the team from their living rooms and local sports bars.
Let’s not forget the $500-million community space called The Rock at La Cantera that will house the team’s new state-of-the-art training facility. Sure, planning for the venue began years before anyone knew Wembanyama’s name, but now that he’s here, it’s evident that The Rock at La Cantera is going to have a bigger transformative impact on the city sooner than anticipated.
Along with the major economic surge that new facilities may deliver to the city — assuming an arena deal is thought through and executed carefully — the arrival of Wembanyama has caused a stir in all aspects of San Antonio life. From new public murals to a hamburger named in his honor that includes French onion strings and foie gras, Wembanyama can feel the love that devout Spurs fans have for their newest player.
“It’s hitting me more and more every day, but first, I really didn’t realize how big of an impact this could be,” Wembanyama said. “It’s really funny walking around or driving around and seeing my face sometimes. People here treat me like family, even though they don’t know me personally. It’s really comfortable. It’s a really good place.”
Gregg Popovich, who will soon start his 28th straight season as the Spurs head coach, said he doesn’t “spend any moment whatsoever worrying” about how Wembanyama is going to fit into the fabric of San Antonio.
“He has great maturity for his age,” Popovich said. “He’s a thinking person. He’s highly intelligent. He’s just a good man. He hasn’t had nor will he have any problem blending in and getting the respect of his teammates or understanding our community and what responsibilities he has there.”
San Antonio is home to only one major professional sports team, and that will be the case for the foreseeable future. This is Spurs country no matter what other team or league rolls into town — and, frankly, most roll out not long after they arrive. So, there was no doubt fans would embrace the new star of that team from the start.
It was especially easy to do since Wembanyama’s genuine reaction the night the Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery made it clear he wants to be here. He wants to wear the silver and black. He wants to lead the Spurs into their next chapter of excellence. It might take some time as the team works through growing pains, but San Antonio is excited that it has a front-row seat to what is sure to be an extraordinary show.
“I know I’m going to live through incredible things and also obstacles,” Wembanyama said. “But I know it’s going to be a beautiful year.”
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