SAN ANTONIO (AP) 鈥 The Victor Wembanyama era is underway in San Antonio.
Wembanyama made his NBA debut with the Spurs against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night and made an immediate splash.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to be amazing, he already is,鈥 Dallas All-Star Luka Doncic said. 鈥淭he size obviously (stands out), like everybody talks. The way he moves for (7-foot-3), he moves incredible. He moves like a point guard almost. It鈥檚 pretty amazing to see.鈥
The No. 1 pick in the NBA draft blocked a shot in the opening minute of the game and misfired on a 3-point attempt from the top of the key. But the 19-year-old who stands nearly 7-foot-4 found his spot and 鈥 again from near the top of the key 鈥 at the 8:25 mark of the first quarter. from the right wing with under two minutes left in the opening quarter.
鈥淚 was just focused on being the best I can be when I stepped back on the court,鈥 Wembanyama said.
That six points was all the scoring for Wembanyama in the first three quarters as he was slowed by foul trouble. But he provided a glimpse of his outstanding skill by scoring nine points in the fourth quarter and finished with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting (3 for 5 from long distance), with five rebounds, two assists and a block in more than 23 minutes
Wembanyama was forced to exit after picking up his fourth foul with 8:37 remaining in the third quarter on a touch foul while attempting to set a pick on Derrick Jones Jr. The Mavericks took their first lead 37 seconds later at 73-72.
Wembanyama returned midway through the fourth quarter and quickly scored seven points to electrify the crowd. His first bucket came on an alley-oop that rolled over the rim, and he punctuated the run with a thunderous dunk.
Wembanyama was limited to only four field goal attempts in the first half, but it wasn鈥檛 from a lack of effort. He continually ran down the court asking for the ball against smaller defenders, but his teammates did not see him.
鈥淚 think even in transition where we missed him,鈥 Spurs guard Devin Vassell said. 鈥淗e is running ahead. I mean you got to see them. Those are easy buckets. Those are gimmes. We need those. So, it鈥檚 an adjustment to say it like that. You know what I鈥檓 saying? Every day you don鈥檛 have a 7-4 player running down, running down the wing, being able to post stuff and get easy catches and stuff like that. We got to see them. We鈥檝e got to take advantage of it. So, like I said, first game, it is what it is. We鈥檙e going to learn.鈥
Wembanyama played pro basketball in France before being drafted. His first game in the NBA had the world watching.
鈥淗ow can I deny that,鈥 San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said prior to Wednesday鈥檚 game. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty obvious. Victor鈥檚 had a lot of attention pointed toward him for a very long time and that鈥檚 not going to change. Fortunately for us, he鈥檚 a really mature, prioritized young man that knows what he wants. He鈥檚 already a pro.鈥
Wembanyama drew the undivided attention of fans and media filling the lower bowl of the Frost Bank Center while simply practicing free throws before the Wednesday opener.
Dubbed 鈥淭he Extraterrestrial鈥 by Nike, Wembanyama has been astounding with his otherworldly play. In preseason action, he blocked 3-point shots with his 8-foot wingspan and Euro-stepped from the free throw line to the rim for a dunk in two strides without a dribble.
Wembanyama鈥檚 presence has energized San Antonio鈥檚 fanbase unlike any time in the franchise鈥檚 history.
The Spurs have won five NBA championships and had numerous stars, yet nobody has received this kind of attention.
San Antonio received more than 200 media credential requests from eight countries, rivaling the interest shown during the NBA Finals.
Wembanyama鈥檚 jerseys and T-shirts dominate the stands. Jerseys from Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were worn by fans during the Big Three Era, but Wembanyama is the clear darling of a city desperate for its sixth NBA title 鈥 even after failing to make the playoffs the last four seasons.
Wembanyama鈥檚 presence forced the Spurs to sell standing-room only tickets for the opener, a move that comes just months after the team struggled to sell tickets during its 22-60 finish last season.
鈥淚 had a hard time even giving my tickets away last year,鈥 Spurs fan Melvin Voight said. 鈥淎 200% turnaround. Big demand.鈥
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