Do you think there was a fix for SA to get the number one pick?

[warriorfan]

I had a weird gut feeling about SA landing the first pick. Even though SA is a relatively small market team they have instilled themselves as a big time name with all of their success over the past few decades. Then you have the dominant big man linage of Robinson and Duncan. Pop’s redemption storyline after some years of obscurity. France has a good amount of SA fans already going back from the Tony Parker years. It seemed to all add up.


Disclaimer: I don’t really care one way or another. I think it might be best for the league him going to SA and developing properly with a franchise with a good track record that has proven to have some sort of direction. I’m not saying there was or was not a fix. Just bringing up a few points.

[1987_Lakers]

Pop's redemption? Dude is 74, I doubt he stays long enough to see Wembanyama's prime.

[iamgine]

Not sure the league would risk its entire reputation for weak reasons like Spurs had some leftover Tony Parker french fans. :lol

[SaltyMeatballs]

Yes

- France has a very strong connection to the Spurs. Wemby himself said "I know half of the country, if not the whole country, wanted the Spurs to have the first pick. So I was looking at everyone and everyone was happy, so I was too. Not to brag about it, but I knew what was going to happen and I actually recorded myself saying it this morning walking to practice." Source (https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/victor-wembanyama-says-he-knew-spurs-would-win-lottery-thanks-to-french-connection-the-universe-told-me/)

- Boris Diaw is the president of Wemby's recent team in France, the Metropolitans 92

- Tony Parker is the president and majority owner of ASVEL Basket. Another team Wemby was on

- Judging by Wemby's quote, it's obvious that he is fan of the Spurs. There's also a picture (https://staticc.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/ac549-16843397604863-1920.jpg) of him wearing a Spurs jersey when he was younger

- Out of all the teams that had the highest odds of winning the lottery, Spurs made the most sense. The organization has a strong reputation for winning, they have arguably the GOAT head coach, and two legendary bigs in Duncan and D-Rob who can serve as mentors for Wemby. Silver the snake knew this and wanted to make sure that the next potential face of the NBA didn't get his career ruined by a bad organization

[Spurs m8]

Let's hope he can bring more championships to the team that drafts him than the last great nba hope did.

[highwhey]

yeah. it's a little too "perfect" to have fallen in line by chance...

[1987_Lakers]

Let's hope he can bring more championships to the team that drafts him than the last great nba hope did.

I'm glad he landed on the Spurs. Might have saved your sanity, maybe now you can focus on another player instead of thinking of LeBron 24/7.

[Im Still Ballin]

Yes

- France has a very strong connection to the Spurs. Wemby himself said "I know half of the country, if not the whole country, wanted the Spurs to have the first pick. So I was looking at everyone and everyone was happy, so I was too. Not to brag about it, but I knew what was going to happen and I actually recorded myself saying it this morning walking to practice." Source (https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/victor-wembanyama-says-he-knew-spurs-would-win-lottery-thanks-to-french-connection-the-universe-told-me/)

- Boris Diaw is the president of Wemby's recent team in France, the Metropolitans 92

- Tony Parker is the president and majority owner of ASVEL Basket. Another team Wemby was on

- Judging by Wemby's quote, it's obvious that he is fan of the Spurs. There's also a picture (https://staticc.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/ac549-16843397604863-1920.jpg) of him wearing a Spurs jersey when he was younger

- Out of all the teams that had the highest odds of winning the lottery, Spurs made the most sense. The organization has a strong reputation for winning, they have arguably the GOAT head coach, and two legendary bigs in Duncan and D-Rob who can serve as mentors for Wemby. Silver the snake knew this and wanted to make sure that the next potential face of the NBA didn't get his career ruined by a bad organization

Appreciate the effort on this post.

[Akeem34TheDream]

I don't think so. Nothing is guaranteed with Spurs either. Things could go wrong and he might be asking for a trade in a couple of years.

[Spurs m8]

I don't think so. Nothing is guaranteed with Spurs either. Things could go wrong and he might be asking for a trade in a couple of years.

Rockets fans in coping mode

[warriorfan]

Rockets fans in coping mode

:roll:

[Lakers Legend#32]

Why would the NBA put this supposedly best player of a generation in some bumf#ck small market hamlet like San Antonio?

[Akeem34TheDream]

Rockets fans in coping mode

I was arguing that it would be stupid to rig the lottery for Spurs. There are so many unknowns. I am not hating. Though I do think he will have some injury problems in his career. He looks too fragile.

[Spurs m8]

I was arguing that it would be stupid to rig the lottery for Spurs. There are so many unknowns. I am not hating. Though I do think he will have some injury problems in his career. He looks too fragile.

Yeah the injuries are my only slight concern...but no point stressing over it...high risk, high reward...strap me in!

[Spurs m8]

Why would the NBA put this supposedly best player of a generation in some bumf#ck small market hamlet like San Antonio?

Because not everyone is an LA simp

[coin24]

I think the league knew he couldn’t land in Detroit, Orlando, charlotte or any of those bottom feeding, forever tanking and squandering talent shitholes..

[HoopologyPhD]

No, the NBA is as honest as Abe.

[Real Men Wear Green]

The NBA has absolutely nothing to gain from having a superstar in San Antonio. That's as small a market as can get an NBA team. Why would they care at all if a 74 year old Popovich is winning? No one outside of San Antonio cares about the Spurs. There is no correlation between the Spurs being great and the league making more money.

[r0drig0lac]

this makes literally no sense.

[Jasper]

Pop's redemption? Dude is 74, I doubt he stays long enough to see Wembanyama's prime.

first woman coach will be doing him

[bdonovan]

Not sure how it came about but Pop needs an immigrant player because none of the top native-born American players are willing to play for him.

Pop succeeded with a crew of immigrants (Duncan, Ginobli, Parker) - who were willing to knuckle under and play under Pop's command & control style. Pop uses intimidation to get players to fall into line. And he has a system offense based on set plays.

The modern American player is used to free-styling, to not be constrained with a rigid playbook. The old Command & Control leadership style is out - few players, certainly not the best ones, will put up with it.

Immigrants usually don't have the same expectations; Wembanyama is likely a good fit for Pop's style.

[tpols]

Yes

- France has a very strong connection to the Spurs. Wemby himself said "I know half of the country, if not the whole country, wanted the Spurs to have the first pick. So I was looking at everyone and everyone was happy, so I was too. Not to brag about it, but I knew what was going to happen and I actually recorded myself saying it this morning walking to practice." Source (https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/victor-wembanyama-says-he-knew-spurs-would-win-lottery-thanks-to-french-connection-the-universe-told-me/)

- Boris Diaw is the president of Wemby's recent team in France, the Metropolitans 92

- Tony Parker is the president and majority owner of ASVEL Basket. Another team Wemby was on

- Judging by Wemby's quote, it's obvious that he is fan of the Spurs. There's also a picture (https://staticc.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/ac549-16843397604863-1920.jpg) of him wearing a Spurs jersey when he was younger

- Out of all the teams that had the highest odds of winning the lottery, Spurs made the most sense. The organization has a strong reputation for winning, they have arguably the GOAT head coach, and two legendary bigs in Duncan and D-Rob who can serve as mentors for Wemby. Silver the snake knew this and wanted to make sure that the next potential face of the NBA didn't get his career ruined by a bad organization

This is great context. And it makes sense.

Everything is planned.