Victor Wembanyama's first month as an NBA player impressed commissioner Adam Silver, who raved about the first-overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft in a chat with reporters on Monday night.
The San Antonio Spurs rookie has faced immediate pressure on and off the court as one of the most hyped prospects in basketball history. Already, he has navigated harsh scrutiny of a rocky Summer League debut and an incident in Las Vegas involving Britney Spears, where the singer accused one of his security guards of brushing her away with excessive force.
Silver is a man any NBA player wants on their good side, given his power to levy suspensions. So Wembanyama will be pleased to hear he received a favourable report from the commissioner.
"I've had the opportunity to spend time with him in New York around the draft," Silver said of the 19-year-old. "I also met him when we played a regular-season game in Paris in January. And my initial reaction is that he's an incredible young man. I almost don't even want to caveat it with young man, because he seems just to be an incredible person. [He is] mature beyond his years, worldly, cultured, thoughtful and also has the potential to do amazing things in this league."
Wembanyama experienced jitters in his first taste of the NBA, enduring rough moments during a 2-for-13 shooting night against the Charlotte Hornets. Kai Jones dunked over him, and Brandon Miller crossed him with a sharp dribbling move. The top draft pick from Metropolitans 92 may have been distracted by the incident with Spears, which occurred two days prior.
"When I got back to the hotel, I didn't forget about this, but I thought it was no big deal," the 7-foot-5 big man said. "And then [I was told] this was Britney Spears. At first, I was like, 'No, you're joking!' But yeah, it turns out it was Britney Spears. I never saw her face. In the past month, I think basketball wasn't even 50 per cent of my schedule. I can't stand it. I know it's a special moment in my life, but I'm glad it's over … I just wanna hoop."
Wembanyama quieted critics in his second Summer League appearance, putting up 27 points while hauling in 12 rebounds. Afterward, he announced he would withdraw from the competition to focus on his development away from the public eye.
But in a chaotic week in Las Vegas, he learned all he needed about the NBA ahead of his much-anticipated rookie regular season. "First of all, the court is more open," Wembanyama explained. "It's going fast, but it's less physical. I get fouled a lot but not as much…nothing to compare. Here, players are just flying. Out there, it's more on the ground, pushing on the ground, big box outs. Here, it's great athletes — the best in the world — with way more talent, but I like this better though."
