NBA draft: “A rocking moment in my life”, Victor Wembanyama is preparing for the gala evening

It was as a rock star that Victor Wembanyama landed in the United States. At the airport or in the metro, the new star of French basketball is followed like his shadow by a swarm of cameras and fans. An unprecedented privilege for a 19-year-old Frenchie, he even kicked off the baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday evening. But the real highlight of this trip will take place on the night of Thursday to Friday.

The 2.19m giant will participate in the NBA draft, the annual meeting of American basketball during which franchises select the best young players in the world. Unless surprise, Victor Wembanyama should be chosen first by the San Antonio Spurs.

“An incredible mix of emotions”

For this gala evening, it will be mandatory tuxedo for “Wemby”. “For the costume, I have several options, I haven’t decided yet. But I always try to be original so there will be surprises”, smiles the main interested party. From 2 a.m. French time, he will settle in the Green Room, a space reserved for the best hopes. Surrounded by his loved ones, he will wait feverishly for his name to be pronounced by Adam Silver, the big boss of the NBA.

“This moment is something that I have already imagined for a long time. It’s going to be an incredible mix of emotions, I know that. I’m not used to stressing out but it’s clear that for this moment , which will be a turning point in my life, I would surely have a ball in my stomach”, he concedes. The San Antonio Spurs should thus hit the jackpot. Their flocked Wembanyama black jersey and its number 1, which they do not yet have the right to market, are already snapping up on counterfeit sites.