Victor Wembanyama Debut @ NBA Sold-Out Crowd, An Emotional Introduction, and A Low Scoring Performance

The sold-out crowd at the NBA Summer League may not recall Victor Wembanyama’s statistics, but they will certainly claim to have witnessed the next great thing.
The stands were filled, phones were out, and scalpers were risking temperatures of 100 degrees or more two hours before Victor Wembanyama made his Summer League debut.

The Thomas & Mack Center was nearly at capacity as the first overall pick arrived backstage an hour before his debut.

The previous game, between Portland and Houston, appeared to drag in the final minute, making even an apprehensive sold-out crowd more so by the second.

When Jabari Smith Jr. won the game with a buzzer-beating three-pointer off an inbounds pass with 0.6 seconds remaining, the celebration was less about the game itself and more about what may happen next.

There wasn’t much of a difference between the first pick and the second pick, Brandon Miller of Charlotte. North Carolina’s own J. Cole, who was sitting opposite the Hornets’ bench, was there more for the show than the game.

It was easy to forget that Wembanyama, a 19-year-old Frenchman playing in his first game of this size on American soil, was the reason for everyone’s attendance.

Every time he touched the ball in the opening warmups, the sold-out crowd took notice, as the front rows were filled with NBA greats eager to catch a look of the most-hyped prospect since LeBron James.

Wembanyama’s father was over by the Spurs’ bench, filming and snapping pictures with his phone like any other dad would do, even in this out-of-the-ordinary situation.

Wembanyama’s first game was less than stellar. He shot poorly, dribbled into traffic, and even hit a couple of air balls.

Later in the game, though, he seemed to relax against the quickness and dexterity of his opponents, as evidenced by his game-ending wing triple while being fouled at the end of the fourth.

In 27 minutes of action in the Spurs’ 76-68 victory over the Hornets on Friday night, he scored nine points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked five shots, dished out three assists, and committed three turnovers.

Given Wembanyama’s size and the physical nature of Summer League, he was bound to take a few tumbles during the game.

However, unlike the previous game, in which Portland’s Scoot Henderson and Houston’s Amen Thompson had to leave with injuries, Wembanyama finished the game standing tall and without a limp.

So, it may be said that Wembanyama has already proven itself.

Wembanyama conceded, “I really didn’t know what I was doing on the court tonight.” “The most important thing for me to work on is being responsive to the point guard’s plays and maintaining contact with the rest of the team.”

A lack of experience and acclimation prevented him from hearing all the calls from the coaching staff in real time, he said, especially in comparison to his colleagues who had already played in a few of games in the California Classic Summer League before traveling to Vegas.

Wembanyama appeared to take in, if only briefly, the grand spectacle. He was attempting to conform to the mood of the audience.

When Wembanyama touched the ball, the sold-out crowd not only roared, but also held its breath in suspense, sensing that something truly historic was about to take place.

After the event, he commented, “I was working out by myself a couple days before this.” In a season with 82 games, I believe there is a great deal of conditioning to be done. It was very tiring to run so much. I was exhausted when I had to sub, so there’s definitely some conditioning to be done.

Although the sold-out crowd of 18,000 let out a collective sigh of disapproval whenever one of his shots missed the mark or when he repeatedly tossed the ball around the perimeter to keep the offense flowing, they cheered enthusiastically whenever he found a cutting Dominick Barlow for a layup in the face of a double team.

The lower bowl was completely sold out, which is unusual for Summer League. Summer League’s first day sold out in record time for the second year in a row, and legends like Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stayed to see the evening’s action.

I’m used to large gatherings. Wembanyama argued that there was no such thing as a “home” or “away” game. The sold-out crowd isn’t necessarily here to support my team or to boo us to death. However, I’m pleased that so many people will be able to watch us perform.

While his brilliance was less obvious, his strengths shone through despite his difficulties. When he sent a block flying backward, the crowd went wild; when he spun off a defender and went for a dunk, the sold-out crowd went wild again, but he was already too far underneath the rim to properly recover himself.

When Kai Jones caught an alley-oop over his head and smashed it with force while getting fouled, it was a “Welcome, Rookie” moment.

It was reminiscent of the iconic play from the 2021 NBA Finals, when Giannis Antetokounmpo stuck with Devin Booker and blocked Deandre Ayton at the hoop in Game 4.

Wembanyama will eventually be able to produce this play, and hopefully sooner rather than later.

However, it may have been unrealistic to expect him to perform at a high level right away, what with the time he spent resting after his French team’s season finished just before the draft throwing off both his timing and conditioning.

Awaiting the start of the real games, he seemed unconcerned about the play itself, pausing before answering each question while maintaining a broad view on the time and even the intricacies of playing the low man on a pick-and-roll.

Wembanyama acknowledged that, “We’re gonna get scored on sometimes, but we’re here to learn.”

Not many people will remember Wembanyama’s stat line, but they will be proud to say they saw the next big thing on its first day.

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