San Antonio Spurs games during NBA Summer League this year are going to be must-watch events … well, at least for the first game or two. That’s because Victor Wembanyama, who is going to go No. 1 overall to the Spurs in the NBA Draft on Thursday, announced during his pre-Draft press availability that he plans to participate in Summer League.
Victor Wembanyama confirms he will play in Summer League.
Says he was in “the best shape of his life” during the French playoffs this last month. pic.twitter.com/w2lZ2QGiJX
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) June 21, 2023
It’s worth mentioning that the Spurs will participate in both the California Classic, which takes place in Sacramento on July 3-5, and the Las Vegas Summer League, which runs from July 7-17. As such, it’s not clear when Wembanyama would play, although it is probably safe to assume that he’d suit up in Vegas and go up against the rest of his Draft class, along with the second and third-year players who are participating.
Of course, the decision will be made with the Spurs front office after he’s formally on the team, and it’s worth mentioning that Wembanyama is coming off of a long season in France where he led his team, Metropolitans 92, to the LNB Championship Game, which took place last Thursday. There’s also no guarantee that he’s going to play in every game, as there have been plenty of high-profile draftees who have only suited up once or twice in Las Vegas before getting shut down altogether.