PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 15: Victor Wembanyama of Boulogne Levallois in action during the Playoffs Betclic ELITE – Finale Episode 3 basketball match between Boulogne-Levallois and AS Monaco Basket at Roland Garros Philippe Chatrier in Paris, France, on 15 June 2023. (Photo by Christian Liewig – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
NBA fans are eagerly anticipating the debut of French star Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama is likely headed to the San Antonio Spurs when the 2023 NBA Draft gets underway on Thursday, June 22 after the franchise won the top selection via the lottery. But how soon he steps onto the hardwood for NBA competition is the real question.
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The 2023-24 regular season doesn't begin until late October -- with preseason sprinkled in before that -- so July's Summer League competitions would be the first possible route to see Wembanyama against a form of NBA competition.
Sometimes youngsters don't compete in Summer League because their level has gone beyond needing to show they belong -- which makes sense for Wembanyama -- but the 19-year-old may have hinted at his plans after the Metropolitan 92's game against Monaco on Thursday.
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The 7-foot-5 (in shoes) center was asked during a handshake if he would appear in Summer League, to which he replied with: "A little bit."
If so, there are three Summer League tournaments beginning in early July: the Sacramento California Classic from July 3-5, Salt Lake City Summer League from July 3-6 and the main Las Vegas Summer League from July 7-17.
San Antonio, though, is only in the field for the Sacramento and Las Vegas editions.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in early June the league doesn't mind which of the two Wembanyama would play in.
“All summer leagues are NBA Summer Leagues,” Silver told The Associated Press. “I’m very supportive of the Sacramento summer league. I remember when (Kings owner Vivek Ranadive) first came to the league and said this was something he wanted to do. I said, ‘As long as you have enough other teams who support it and players who want to play in it, it’s a good thing.’”
Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein reported on his Substack, citing sources, that the Spurs hope Wembanyama "will indeed be a participant to some degree in summer league play in Las Vegas."
Regardless of where Wembanyama takes the floor, countless fans will look to tune in for a glimpse of the league's future.
