Victor Wembanyama - 'I'm immune' to all the NBA draft hype - ESPN

NEW YORK — The hype surrounding basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama surpasses that for anyone who has entered the NBA since LeBron James did so a generation ago.

But if there was any concern about the expectations for the 7-foot-5 Frenchman's career getting to him, he quickly dismissed the notion at his pre-draft news conference Wednesday morning.

«No,» Wembanyama said matter-of-factly in response to a question about whether he's concerned the hype has gone too far ahead of his expected selection first overall by the San Antonio Spurs when the NBA draft begins Thursday night at Barclays Center.

«I don't let this, all this stuff, get into my head because I got such high expectations for myself that I'm immune to all this stuff. So I really don't care.»

The basketball world, however, cares an awful lot about Wembanyama, who brings arguably a unique set of skills to the league for any draft prospect ever, with his 7-5 frame that will make him the tallest player in the sport combined with his fluid offensive game and shooting ability from beyond the 3-point arc.

It's a combination that made this year's draft lottery one of the most anticipated in recent memory, with the Spurs getting their third-ever top selection — and, with it, a chance to take a third generational big man talent, after Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

Wembanyama admitted he felt «lucky» to be going to San Antonio, a franchise that's very popular in France thanks to the Spurs tenures of French players Tony Parker and Boris Diaw.

«For me, San Antonio is synonymous with winning,» Wembanyama said. «When, on lottery night, when the Spurs got the No. 1 pick, I was just thinking, I was feeling lucky that they had pick as a franchise that has that