Victor Wembanyama: Spurs win NBA lottery for ‘once-in-a-millennium’ star

Victor Wembanyama is now set to begin his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, after they won the NBA draft lottery and the No 1 overall pick on Tuesday night.

The Spurs were one of three teams with the best odds – 14% – to land the No 1 pick, which they’ll almost certainly use on Wembanyama. The 7ft 3in French 19-year-old has been widely hailed as the greatest NBA prospect since LeBron James and will be expected to make an immediate impact on the league.

And he had a message for San Antonio.

“I’m trying to win a ring ASAP,” Wembanyama told ESPN after the lottery results. “So be ready.”

It’s the third time the Spurs have won the lottery, and on both previous occasions they made picks that paid off for decades. They chose David Robinson in 1987, Tim Duncan in 1997, and those selections were a major part of how the Spurs became a team that won five NBA titles under coach Gregg Popovich.

“Our future was already bright,” Spurs managing partner Peter J Holt said. “Now, it’s going to be through the moon.”

General manager Brian Wright called it “an incredible day” for the franchise and the fans.

Charlotte will pick second, Portland moved up to third, and Houston fell to fourth.

“This draft is a deep, talented one,” Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said. “We know picks one through six there’s always gems to be found, but to move up into the top three is really exciting.”

As for getting the No 1 pick in a year like this?

“People talk about generational talents and you only think on-court skill, but it’s bigger than that,” Wright said. “Peter talked about his ability to be a great teammate, his ability to think the game, unique challenges. You see him doing things that you wouldn’t have even guessed someone could do –