2023 No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama gets praise from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver: "He's an incredible young man"

Commissioner Adam Silver has nothing but praise for the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.

Wembanyama was off to a rocky start to the Summer League before bouncing back in his second game. However, the Spurs have already shut him down for the rest of the Summer League.

Silver faced reporters during the Associated Press Sports Editors Convention on Monday in Las Vegas. One of the questions that faced the commissioner was about Wembanyama, who has taken the league by storm.

He spoke of how he likes the French prospect's maturity for his age and his ability to handle pressure:

"I've had the opportunity to spend time with him in New York around the draft," Silver said. "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. Mature beyond his years, worldly, cultured, thoughtful and also has the potential to do amazing things in this league." (h/t ESPN)

Victor Wembanyama made his NBA Summer League debut on Saturday against Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets. However, Wembanyama struggled from the field and looked lost on the floor. He also got overpowered and dunked on during the game.

"Wemby" finished with nine points on 2-13 shooting. He did grab eight rebounds and swatted eight shots though, but many fans focused on the negatives. He even looked gassed in the second half, leaving some fans concerned about how he can't back down smaller defenders.

In his postgame interview, the 19-year-old admitted that he needs to work on his conditioning:

"I think there is a lot of conditioning to do to play in an 82-game season," Wembanyama said.

"We run a lot. It is really exhausting. Even though the game was 40 minutes tonight when I came out, I was always like tired and exhausted, so I think there is a lot of conditioning to do." (h/t San Antonio Express-News)

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Victor Wembanyama puts on a show in his second Summer League game

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs

Wembanyama had a much better showing for the San Antonio Spurs in his second Summer League game on Sunday. "Wemby" finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in the Spurs' 85-80 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He also shot 9-14 from the field and 7-12 from the free-throw line.

The 7-foot-5 center looked more comfortable on Sunday compared to his debut. It appeared the pressure was off and he let the game come to him. However, fans will have to wait until the preseason to watch more of Wembanyama, who has been shut down for the rest of the Summer League by the Spurs.

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