The NBA’s oldest coach. The NBA’s newest superstar. In an instant, the fortunes of the San Antonio Spurs changed in a big way. Victor Wembanyama is on his way to the NBA, and the coaching wins leader in Gregg Popovich will be waiting for him.
The right combination of ping-pong balls — 14, 5, 8 and 2 were the winning ones — gave the Spurs victory in the draft lottery Tuesday night, meaning they’ll have the No. 1 pick June 22. That means they’ve won the Wembanyama sweepstakes, and that four years of losing in a way that had never before happened under Popovich has actually paid off. Pop and Wemby. A 74-year-old wine connoisseur who is one of the best basketball coaches in the world, and a 19-year-old supertalent who hails from the land where some of the best wines are made.
