On Friday (July 7), during the NBA Summer League, the San Antonio Spurs faced off against the Charlotte Hornets in front of a sold-out crowd of over 19,000 spectators at the Thomas & Mack Center in the excitement of Victor Wembanyama’s first game with the team. A few days ago, all of the tickets were purchased. It was only the second occasion in the history of the NBA Summer League that there had been a sold-out prior to game day. The first time was in 2019 when Zion Williamson made his debut with New Orleans. And this was only the seventh time that anything had ever been sold out.
The crowd went wild as soon as Wembanyama stepped foot on the floor because they were finally able to see the 19-year-old player who is garnering more buzz than anybody else in the league since LeBron James debuted the league back in 2003. Whoa! That is just remarkable!
Victor's handles and vision are absurd. pic.twitter.com/ANpVPWKCZz
— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2023
The presentation was great, but Wembanyama’s anxieties and rust were evident throughout the performance. The player selected first overall in the draft scored nine points on 2-for-13 throwing from the field, notably going 1-for-6 from outside the arc, in the Spurs’ 76-68 victory. He was outplayed in this game by the player selected second overall, Brandon Miller, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds. It would appear that the performance was not what he had hoped for.
Just a few days before his official debut, a strange event went widespread in which Britney Spears sought to greet Wembanyama on his victory at ARIA hotel and casino. The gesture took a turn for the worst as she touched him, and Spurs security blocked her effort before going on to make a police report. The incident became viral on the internet.
Even though it was only 40 minutes tonight when I was subbed out, I was always tired and exhausted; So, I think there’s a lot of conditioning to do, said Wembanyama.
Wembanyama did finish with eight rebounds and five blocks on the shots that were attempted against him. However, he ended up tied for fourth place on the Spurs in terms of plus-minus, trailing behind players like Julian Champagnie (ten), Blake Wesley (nine), and Erik Stevenson (six), two of whom went unclaimed.
Earl Berg is a seasoned technology writer at Digital Overload, bringing over 10 years of experience in the tech industry to his role. Earl’s passion for technology and his knack for translating complex tech concepts into understandable language make his articles a favorite among readers. His coverage spans a wide range of tech topics, from gadget reviews and software updates to innovative breakthroughs in the tech industry. Earl is dedicated to providing his readers with honest, unique, and insightful content, always with an objective and open-minded approach. When he’s not immersed in the tech world, Earl enjoys hiking and photography.