CNN
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Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 Frenchman who some NBA commentators think could be a generational talent, was the No. 1 pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The past two times the five-time NBA champions have had the top pick, they also selected big men – David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. Both had Hall of Fame careers and earned championship rings.
Unlike many players his size, Wembanyama is not a prototypical NBA center. While the 19-year-old can be dominant on defense, he is able to dribble the ball like a point guard and shoot from three-point range efficiently.
“It’s a tough league,” Wembanyama told draft broadcaster ESPN through tears after he was selected. “I going to try to learn as quick as possible because I want to win that ring.”
Wembanyama said he had dreamed so much of hearing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver call his name, he had to cry when the moment arrived.
The Charlotte Hornets selected forward Brandon Miller of the University of Alabama with the second pick.
G-League player Scoot Henderson, a 6-foot-2 guard, was the third pick, going to the Portland Trail Blazers.
“They’re getting a dog. They’re getting a dog that’s going to come in and be hungry,” he told ESPN, adding he wants to have an impact off the court. “They’re getting a special player; a special person.”
The Houston Rockets also went the non-college route, picking Amen Thompson, who played with his twin brother, Ausar, at Overtime Elite, an independent league for young players based in Atlanta.
Amen Thompson told ESPN: “I’m just excited, excited to be a Rocket.”
He said he looked forward to joining Houston because his “best brand of basketball is running.”
Ausar didn’t wait long after his twin to be selected, as the Detroit Pistons chose him next. The brothers are the first siblings to be picked in the top 10 (or, top 5, even) of the NBA Draft in the same year.
Bleacher Report predicts what teams will do with their selections
This story is developing and will be updated.
