Finally, Victor Wembanyama To Star In an NBA Play @ Summer League: Arena Awaits

LAS VEGAS — Even though Victor Wembanyama’s Summer League debut on a Friday night isn’t the major event, it nevertheless marks a new beginning for him.

A member of the San Antonio Spurs security staff mistook pop singer Britney Spears for a regular fan and knocked her back as she tried to touch the hem of the first overall pick’s cloak.

It will be difficult to make a swift move on the newest big man to enter the league, whether the NBA or the notoriously guarded Spurs management issues the decision.

Even if you’re a famous musician who’s sold a hundred million albums throughout the world. Security made it plain that we are not to wait for anyone or a throng will form.

There is no such thing as hiding when you’re 7 feet 4 inches tall, not even in the city of lights. There is no way to blend in with the crowd, which is something Wembanyama isn’t very good at.

“There was one person who was calling me,” Wembanyama told reporters on Thursday. Someone, then, grabbed my back. Because I didn’t stop, I missed it. She reached behind me and grabbed me, but the security guards pushed her away. I kept on walking and ended up having a lovely meal.

Until he woke up to a flood of texts informing him that TMZ had filmed the moment, he had no idea it was Spears.

Even before he steps foot in the United States, Wembanyama has been Americanized.
The Wembanyama-headlined Summer League opener on Friday night is already completely sold out, making it the fifth time that has ever happened in NBA history.

This is the first time a Summer League session has sold out on its opening day, and the second time tickets have sold out before a gameday.

The other time this happened was when the New Orleans Pelicans drafted Zion Williamson and he made his professional debut in 2019.

Minutes into the game, Williamson stole the ball from Knicks forward Kevin Knox and dunked it home with both hands.

The game was halted minutes later when an actual earthquake hit Las Vegas.

Williamson seems to be making more headlines in the tabloids, rumor mill, and Twitter streets than on the floor, which is exactly what the league hopes won’t happen.

Maybe the NBA’s future star can’t afford to be sidetracked, and that’s why a wall is being constructed around Wembanyama.

While most leagues have a handful of promising up-and-comers who can assist carry the load, this one is different. The NBA has been secretly preparing for his arrival like a child waiting for Christmas morning, and so has his foreign squad.

Even though LeBron James has had a career that has been widely documented ever since his first game against the Sacramento Kings in 2003, when he demonstrated a keen sense of selflessness and unparalleled athleticism, his Summer League games are largely forgotten.

It didn’t take place in Sin City, and despite his reputation, he wasn’t the main attraction.

Even while most people would consider James’ time in the NBA to be modern, this demonstrates how much the league has changed.

Everything here is an unnecessary display of pomp and circumstance. Wembanyama will meet with the fans and chat with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at NBA Con, an event that has the makings of becoming an annual tradition around this time of year.

NBA Con’s broad fan base is the perfect audience for a celebration of the league’s fashion, music, art, and basketball culture. Wembanyama will be smack dab in the center of the action at this festival in the heart of the Pacific Time Zone’s most populous city.

He isn’t being coddled, but neither is he being plunged into the deep end.

The league would have preferred him to play in a bigger market, but it’s fine with him developing in San Antonio with the Spurs. Last week, a picture of Spurs greats Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Manu Ginóbili, and Sean Elliott with Wembanyama went viral.
This rising talent has the potential to make the combination of “viral” and “San Antonio Spurs” commonplace.

It’s less of a concern that he’ll be swayed by the wrong crowd or distracted by things that have nothing to do with his predestined development.

On Friday, it’s likely that we’ll receive a sneak preview of that expansion. It is expected that, barring injury, he will play a limited amount of time and provide a tantalizing taste of what is to come.

Of course, he’ll be a prime target among draftees and other aspiring NBA players if he’s out there with them; after all, even a guy destined for the G League would be proud to hang a poster of himself grabbing a Victor body.

Players who have just seen short video of Wembanyama playing on Twitter will put him through a physical test to discover if the excitement is justified.

His Prowess, talent, vigor, performance and style.

Wembanyama will be on the unfavorable side of the court, well out of reach, yet some fool will think they have a clear path to the basket.

A layup will be swatted, and the sold-out crowd will go wild.

In a similar vein to how then-Lakers President Magic Johnson communicated “that’s enough” for Lonzo Ball with a small look in 2017, Gregg Popovich is likely to call Code Red at that exact time.

The crowds, the NBA, and ESPN will be satisfied, and the latter is likely to show such plays over and over again when interest in sports is low.

Wembanyama’s sole purpose in Sin City is to meet and greet fans, give out baby kisses, and generate buzz about why he should be the next big thing in the entertainment industry. Plus, make sure that no other stars come anywhere near you.

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