The 2023 NBA Draft is expected to be as good of a crop of young talent as we’ve seen come into the league in some time — which is saying something considering the depth of young stars in the NBA currently. Atop current big boards are two names, French star Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite.
Both players have been on the NBA radar for some time, with Henderson finishing high school early to join the G League Ignite as a 17-year-old, while Wembanyama has been heralded as the best prospect in a decade-plus for his combination of length (7’4 with an 8′ wingspan) and skill as a ball-handler, shooter, and shot-blocker. There is plenty of excitement around those two (among others), but given the two play in different professional leagues there wasn’t much expectation we’d get to see them on the same floor to evaluate them at the same time.
However, last month the G League Ignite and Metropolitans 92, Wembanyama’s French squad, agreed to face off in a pair of preseason games in Las Vegas, which will be played on October 4 and 6. They figure to be filled with scouts, but given the profiles of the two young stars in the game, there’s plenty of fan interest as well. Thankfully, the NBA recognized that and announced on Tuesday as part of their rollout for the new NBA app that the games will be broadcast live for free on the app.
The NBA today announced the launch of the reimagined global NBA App, the all-in-one destination for NBA fans of every team.
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— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 27, 2022
That’s excellent news for those wanting to get a good look at Henderson and Wembanyama, and the league will draw some additional eyeballs to its new app to hopefully show off the improved video quality it promises. The league’s new app will also house the (reduced priced) NBA League Pass and promises “higher video quality, lower streaming latency and a seamless user experience.” Those are all things fans who have dealt with League Pass frustrations in the past have been asking for, and hopefully the new app will deliver those, with a test-run coming in the form of the showcase games for the presumptive top two picks in next year’s draft.