Categories
Basketball

Victor Wembanyama Makes His NBA Debut In a Sold-Out Stadium

victor-wembanyama

In anticipation of Victor Wembanyama debut with the San Antonio Spurs at NBA Summer League against the Charlotte Hornets, the crowd of nearly 19,000 people at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas eagerly stood. The crowd erupted in excitement when the youngster took to the field, finally getting a glimpse of the highly hyped 19-year-old player who has generated more buzz than anyone since LeBron James entered the league in 2003.

Tickets for the game had sold out earlier in the week, marking only the second time in NBA Summer League history that a sellout occurred before the game day. The previous instance was when Zion Williamson debuted with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. This sellout also marked the fifth sellout ever in NBA Summer League history.

Notable figures in attendance included six-time NBA champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West (whose likeness is the NBA logo), and rapper J. Cole.

Despite the high expectations surrounding him, Victor Wembanyama performance fell short of the anticipation. He displayed signs of nervousness and rustiness, resulting in a disappointing showing. As the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, he scored only nine points on a 2-for-13 shooting performance from the field, including a 1-for-6 performance from beyond the arc. In the Spurs’ 76-68 victory, he was outplayed by Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall pick, who recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds.

In addition to his scoring struggles, Victor Wembanyama made notable contributions in other areas of the game. He recorded eight rebounds and an impressive five blocked shots. However, in terms of plus-minus, he finished tied for the fourth-highest on the Spurs, trailing Julian Champagnie (10), Blake Wesley (nine), and Erik Stevenson (six), both of whom were undrafted players.

Victor Wembanyama had a less-than-stellar debut

“Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court tonight,” said Wembanyama, who didn’t play in the Spurs’ Summer League games in Sacramento this week following last month’s draft. 

Victor Wembanyama acknowledged that his conditioning was a concern and emphasized the need to work on it before the start of the season.

“Even though it was only 40 minutes tonight, when I was subbed out I was always tired and exhausted,” he said. “So, I think there’s a lot of conditioning to do.”

Despite his rough performance, Wembanyama’s potential and talent were evident throughout the game.

“Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court tonight,”

Wembanyama had a quiet third quarter, not attempting any shots, and later he was skillfully dribbled past by Hornets rookie Brandon Miller. However, he sank a late 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, drawing a foul and converting a four-point play. Julian Champagnie led the Spurs with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Malaki Branham contributed 17 points.

Meanwhile, Miller, selected as the second overall pick in the draft, led the Hornets with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Bryce McGowens added 15 points, and James Bouknight finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Despite Wembanyama’s less-than-spectacular debut, it is important not to overreact. The 19-year-old has only played in one Summer League game thus far, and there is plenty of time to adapt and find his rhythm in the league.

Also Read: Grant Williams Heads to Dallas Mavericks In A Sign-And-Trade