The 7-foot-5 French sensation went No. 1 in the draft and could earn more than $12 million next season—outside of endorsements. Not bad for a 19-year-old.
It was merely a formality when Victor Wembanyama crossed the stage at Barclays Center on Thursday night, sporting a San Antonio Spurs hat and posing for pictures with NBA commissioner Adam Silver. The 7-foot-5-inch French phenom had long been expected to go No. 1 in the 2023 NBA Draft, no matter which team won the lottery. And so for the 19-year-old Wembanyama, the hype has now officially paid off. His selection at the top of the draft should also guarantee him more than $50 million in salary over his first four seasons.
« This is accomplishing something that I have been dreaming of my whole life, » Wembanyama told ESPN after the pick was made. « Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver, I’ve dreamed of it so much now. I gotta cry. » And then he did.
And if Wembanyama can actually live up to his way-above-the-rim expectations—he is widely considered a “generational talent” and frequently compared to LeBron James, who entered the league straight out of high school—that money may look like a steal.
“Put it this way, if he doesn’t get hurt, he’s going to be amazing,” says Torrel Harris, CEO of Unique Sports Management International, which represents his son Tobias Harris as well as Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kevin Obanor, a draft hopeful from Texas Tech. “He can shoot, he can block shots, he can hammer the ball. He’s got the whole package.”
Based on the NBA’s rookie salary scale, Wembanyama’s contract could be worth as much as $12.
