Victor Wembanyama, the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, made his official debut for the San Antonio Spurs in their NBA Summer League game against the Charlotte Hornets. And while he showed flashes of talent that made him the most-anticipated prospect since LeBron James entered the league, Wembanyama had an overall slow start to his NBA journey.
Wembanyama had an awful shooting night that saw him just make two out of his 13 attempts from the field and end the night with nine points. He did, however, deliver on the defensive end, grabbing eight rebounds and having five blocks.
“Just gotta get acclimated to the new style of play … Next time, I’m going to do better,” Wembanyama told reporters after the game. “I hope to do better every time.”
Wembanyama is expected to help the Spurs return to contention after the franchise spent several years in rebuilding mode. The 19-year-old player played the 2022-23 season with Metropolitans 92 in his native France, where he averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game.
Hornets’ rookie Brandon Miller, who was taken after Wembanyama with the No. 2 pick, had a much better showing. Miller scored 16 points and had 11 rebounds, but this proved insufficient for his team as the Hornets lost the game 76-68.
