Wembanyama sinks three for first NBA basket
Published
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama scored his first NBA basket Wednesday night with a three-pointer in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks.
Wembanyama stood at the top of the key and popped out to catch a pass from guard Devin Vassell, showing no hesitation in draining the triple. His first shot attempt came just over a minute into the game as he pulled up for a deep three-point attempt that clanked off the rim.
Wembanyama spent a large portion of the first half on the bench after picking up two early fouls but he did nail a second three to bring him to six points as the Spurs led 68-64 at the break. He added three rebounds and one assist in just over 12 minutes of action.
This summer's No. 1 overall pick also made his mark felt on the defensive end, swatting away Kyrie Irving's shot on Dallas' opening offensive possession.
The 19-year-old from Le Chesnay, France, comes into the NBA as the most hyped prospect since LeBron James in 2003 and possibly the most anticipated in league history.
"Victor’s had a lot of attention pointed toward him for a very long time and that’s not going to change. Fortunately for us, he’s a really mature, prioritized young man that knows what he wants. He’s already a pro," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said of his young star.
Wembanyama averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in just over 20 minutes a night during four pre-season games. He also averaged 2.8 blocks per game and shot over 50 per cent from the field.
He averaged 21.6 points and 10.4 rebounds playing in France last season.