The Spurs have a good track record with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
In 1987, the franchise selected David Robinson. A decade later, San Antonio drafted Tim Duncan. Now hoping to follow in the footsteps of the Hall of Famers is Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Wembanyama's journey to the NBA was different from that of Robinson and Duncan. Whereas they both played in the United States before hearing their names called in the draft, Wembanyama spent the last season dominating France's LNB Pro A league.
Wembanyama is one of the most hyped prospects in NBA history. If he comes close to reaching his full potential, you're going to hear his name a lot in the years to come.
MORE: Top 60 NBA Draft prospects ranked with player comparisons
How do you pronounce Victor Wembanyama's name?
The correct way to pronounce Victor Wembanyama's name is "Wem-bahn-yah-muh."
There are several sources for this pronunciation, including from the man himself:
What is the origin of Victor Wembanyama's name?
Wembanyama's name is Congolese in origin. Wembanyama's father, Felix, is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, while his mother, Elodie de Fautereau, is from France.
Wembanyama is ranked as the world's 6,723,624th most common surname. The surname is incredibly unique and seemingly exclusive to Victor and his family.
MORE: Meet Wembanyama's father, basketball-playing mother, siblings
Where is Victor Wembanyama from?
Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, France in January 2004.
At seven years old, he began playing for Entente Le Chesnay Versailles. He then joined the youth system of Nanterre 92 as a 10-year-old.
Wembanyama began playing professionally in 2019, joining several teams from the LNB Pro A including Nanterre 92, ASVEL and Metropolitans 92 where he spent the 2022-23 season.
With averages of 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, Wembanyama was named the LNB's Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and Best Young Player. He was also the league's scoring and blocks champion.
The Spurs selected Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.