Believe the hype: The Wemby Effect is real in San Antonio - ESPN

Devin Vassell hasn't experienced much success over the past three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. The team has a .377-win percentage since drafting him with the 11th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. They've lost twice in the first round of the play-in tournament, and last year posted the franchise's worst record since 1996-97.

So, hours away from the Spurs' 2023 preseason debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Vassell was understandably surprised about one aspect of that night's game.

«I mean, a preseason game on f---ing NBA TV?» Vassell said. «It doesn't even make sense.»

That is the Victor Wembanyama effect in action.

The Spurs' 22-60 finish in 2022-23 led to a win in the NBA draft lottery and the right to select the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, who has been hailed as the NBA's best prospect since LeBron James entered the league to much fanfare in 2003.

Wembanyama's arrival has once again cast the national spotlight upon San Antonio. National television games are going to be a regular occurrence now. Even in the preseason.

The Spurs' preseason opener against the Thunder was on NBA TV. The home preseason opener against the Miami Heat was on TNT. Their regular-season opener against the Dallas Mavericks will be on ESPN (Oct. 25, 9:30 p.m. ET).

This season, the Spurs are set to play 19 games on ESPN, ABC, TNT or NBA TV, including four of their first eight. They were on national TV just once last season (when they hosted the Golden State Warriors at the Alamodome to break the NBA's single-game attendance record). There is the possibility that more national TV appearances will get added as this season goes on — and Wembanyama posts the kind of tantalizing highlights that have thrilled fans so far in October.

And while