Although the Spurs have among the worst records in the NBA, the Silver and Black only have a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 draft pick. Credit: Samantha Serna

As the San Antonio Spurs continue to lose games, one local street artist is casting an eye to the future by painting a mural of Victor Wembanyama in a silver and black jersey.

The new mural on Rudy’s Seafood at 4122 S. Flores St., by Nik Soupé shows a stoic-looking Wembanyama suited up for the home team.

French phenom Wembanya is expected to be the first pick of the upcoming 2023 NBA draft and has been described by LeBron James as a “generational talent,” according to the online sports blog Bleacher Report. Clearly, the Spurs and just about every other team with a shot at the future superstar is eager to bring him on board.

Wembanyama’s portrait is the latest to join a larger mural at the South Side eatery, which also includes images of current Spurs players Tre Jones, Blake Wesley and Jeremy Sochan along with legends George Gervin, David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

“At 7’3 ish rocking offense and defense!! He’s looking to be a solid franchise player!! What are your thoughts? Think he’ll be wearing a Spurs jersey?” Soupé asked in an Instagram post showing off the mural.

The vast majority of commenters said they liked the image, but some raised concerns the painting of Wembanyama could “jinx” the Spurs’ chances of landing the once-in-a-lifetime talent.

Although the Spurs’ 19-52 record — the second worst in the Western Conference and third worst in the league — landing Wembanyama is still a long shot. According to Tankathon, a sports statistics website, the Spurs have just a 14% chance of pulling the No. 1 draft pick this year.

Even if the Spurs do wind up with Wembanyama, there are concerns the 19-year-old’s height could become a liability, since players taller than 7 feet are prone to injuries.

Still, Spurs fans can dream, can’t we?

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This article appears in Mar 8-21, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...