Victor Wembanyama officially enters 2023 NBA draft: Looking at French Prodigy's future in league
Victor Wembanyama, a player who has been widely considered a generational talent, declared for the 2023 NBA draft on Friday. During a long-distance "NBA Today" appearance alongside ESPN's Malika Andrews, the Metropolitans 92 superstar let his intentions be known.
The news wasn't exactly surprising given that Wembanyama has remained the talk of the town, so to speak, among the league. Despite that, it kicked off what is sure to be one of the biggest stories in basketball as the 2023 NBA draft nears.
As Wembanyama said during his ESPN appearance, he's eager to bring his talents to the NBA.
"It's been a year with so many great news for me," Wembanyama said. "So, first of all, I want to thank everyone that has been a part of that journey that year, and all the previous years. All my coaches, my family. And I'm really excited to announce that I'm going to declare to the 2023 NBA draft.
"So, I hope it's big news. I hope it's as big as for me as it is for you."
Victor Wembanyama's declaration is certainly big news no matter how you spin it. As plenty of NBA stars have already said, his arrival in the league will be an earth-shaking one.
How NBA stars have reacted to Victor Wembanyama's inevitable arrival
Victor Wembanyama is one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory. As NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said early in the season, the concern among the league was teams tanking to improve their odds in the draft lottery.
Although the allure of potentially landing a once-in-a-lifetime player like Wembanyama was undeniable, the integrity of the league was the focus. According to Silver, there have continued to be meetings regarding the subject of tanking, with the idea of relegation even being suggested.
While the NBA has yet to come up with a way to curb tanking, Wembanyama seems poised to take the league by storm. Heading into this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo sang Wembanyama's praises to Serge Ibaka, warning the veteran, and the rest of the league, to get ready:
"This kid is going to be a problem. A big problem. I've never seen this before in my life. I saw him up close. He was on the same team as my brother Kostas. He's taller than Rudy Gobert. He can block shots like Rudy but shoot like KD (Kevin Durant). Bro, bro. Crazy"
Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't the only one to praise Victor Wembanyama. LeBron James also said that nobody has ever seen anything like what Wembanyama brings to the court:
"Everybody's been a unicorn over the last few years, but he is more like an alien. No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor,"
With the lottery set for May 16 and the draft set for June 23, only time will tell where Victor Wembanyama takes his talents.