Spurs fans go crazy inside the AT&T Center as they learn the team has picked Victor Wembanyama. Credit: Michael Karlis

A month after the Alamo City landed the No. 1 pick during the NBA Draft lottery, Victor Wembanyama is officially a San Antonio Spur. 

Thousands of fans packed the AT&T Center Thursday afternoon for the team’s official draft watch party, some wearing homemade Wembanyama jerseys before the official ones even went on sale.

Although the Spurs taking the 7-foot-3, 19-year-old French player as the first pick was almost certain, fans inside the arena stood and unleashed a deafening cheer as the Jumbotron overhead showed the team make its pick — and as an emotional Wembanyama shed tears of joy. 

The Jumbotron shows Wemby weeping tears of joy as he’s drafted by the Spurs. Credit: Michael Karlis

The fans’ chant of “Wemby, Wemby” lasted for a full minute.

Naturally, the Spurs faithful also went honking outside on Commerce Street after the announcement. 
Indeed, expectations for Wembanyama couldn’t be higher. The player has been described as a generational talent, and some fans expect him to be in the driver’s predict he’ll soon be in the driver’s seat for another Spurs championship. 

“I think they’ll win a championship in the next four to five years,” fan Mark Burnett told the Current from his spot in the AT&T Center stands. Burnett recently grabbed headlines after getting an image of Wemby sculpted into his buzz cut.

Spurs fan Mark Burnett shows off his Wemby haircut. Credit: Michael Karlis

The Spurs have landed the No. 1 pick twice before — drafting David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. Duncan’s addition to the team helped cement the dynasty that won five NBA Championships.

However, the drafting of Wembanyama is different, according to fans at the AT&T Center. Some even predict he’ll eclipse Duncan.

“Victor coming to San Antonio is basically taking our organization to the next level,” Burnett said. “We haven’t had a player like this since Timmy, and he’s going to bring an aspect to the game that the NBA has never seen before.” 

Now, with expectations high, Alamo City sports fan will have to wait to see whether Wembanyama lives up to the hype. Clearly, thousands of true believers in the AT&T Center are predicting he will — and then some.

Spurs fans turned out by the thousands at the AT&T Center watch party. Credit: Michael Karlis

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This article appears in Jun 14-27, 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,...