A skinny French teenager has the future of the NBA resting on his narrow shoulders — even before he plays a single game in the world's best league.
That teenager is 7ft 4in Victor Wembanyama, who had scouts drooling over his mindblowing potential ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Thanks to some draft lottery luck, it was the San Antonio Spurs who earned the first pick in Thursday's draft.
Now that pick, Wembanyama, is universally expected to be the next great big man off the Spurs production line.
Here is why:
Why is Victor Wembanyama creating so much hype?
For a start, Wembanyama is huge.
Some say he is already 7ft 5in, though plenty of players have not made the most of such physical gifts.
In Wembanyama’s case, despite his massive size, he can dribble and shoot like a guard, run like a gazelle and play defence like a man possessed.
Rather than taking the traditional US college route to the NBA, Wembanyama spent his final pre-NBA season playing professional basketball with French top flight team Metropolitans 92, where he gained experience competing against fully grown professionals.
And he was dominant — winning Most Valuable Player, top scorer and Best Defender awards. He was also Best Young Player for a third time and led the league in blocked shots.
The Ringer’s draft expert Kevin O’Connor called Wembanyama the NBA’s greatest prospect in decades, with "the ceiling to be an all-time great”.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress called him the best NBA prospect since LeBron James, with LeBron himself calling the young Frenchman a "generational talent" and "an alien".
Why do the Spurs get to pick first in the NBA Draft?
The NBA Draft is designed to try to ensure parity among teams. The worst teams are given better odds at the top pick, with more ping-pong balls in a literal lottery that takes place a few weeks before the draft itself.
This year, despite winning more games than the hapless Detroit Pistons and the same amount as the Houston Rockets, it was the Spurs who got lucky.
Is San Antonio a good landing spot?
The last time the Spurs picked first in the draft, they chose franchise legend Tim Duncan in 1997.
A young Duncan lined up alongside 1987's top pick, "The Admiral" David Robinson, to form a dominant frontcourt that won the NBA championship in 1999 and 2003.
Duncan — who went on to win three more titles — is widely regarded as the best power forward to play the game.
He formed one of the most successful trios in history alongside international stars Tony Parker, from France, and Manu Ginobili, from Argentina.
Their coach, Gregg Popovich, is still at the helm and well-versed in helping non-Americans to settle in San Antonio, a low-drama franchise with a history of winning.
How good can Wembanyama be?
There is no limit to how good Wembanyama can be, according to the experts.
He is 19 years old, so NBA fans should expect an adjustment period, but Wembanyama's stats in Europe beat even those of Slovenian star Luka Doncic during Doncic's time at Real Madrid as a teenager — and Doncic was a star from day one.
"As long as Wembanyama stays healthy long term, something he's done so far this season after a bit of a history of picking up injuries here and there, Wembanyama is a franchise-altering talent whose acquisition would completely change the fortunes of whichever team acquires him," wrote The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
But that is not to say he has no weaknesses.
"In terms of potential weaknesses, the occasional scout has pointed to his passing and ability to make reads on the move, as well as the consistency of his shot," said Vecenie. "But I've yet to talk to one who doesn't see these skills as likely to be improved as he ages."
Which NBA legends has he been compared to?
Before he pulls on a Spurs uniform, Wembanyama has been compared to some of the greatest players to pick up a basketball.
"In NBA circles, scouts have privately thrown out comparisons to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar," ESPN draft expert Jeremy Woo wrote, referring to the LA Lakers centre who was the NBA's all-time leading scorer until overtaken by James in February.
Wembanyama has already displayed the one-foot fadeway jump shot made famous by German forward and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzski — one of basketball’s greatest shooters.
"We've never seen a player like Wemby before," O'Connor wrote. "He is like Kevin Durant crossed with Rudy Gobert, making him a Gen-Z Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Ralph Sampson raised on YouTube videos."
Who are the NBA Draft’s other big names?
Dynamic 6ft 2in guard Scoot Henderson, from the NBA G League Ignite feeder team, and Brandon Miller, Alabama’s 6ft 9in do-it-all forward, round out the draft’s three best prospects.
The Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar, both 6ft 6in, should also be solid NBA professionals, if not stars, in time.
But none come close to the potential of Wembanyama.
O'Conner said: “As hyperbolic as it all sounds, executives around the league already agree that Wembanyama has Hall of Fame potential — with the upside to be one of the greatest players ever."
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Sawt Assalam, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Foah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Faiza, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: RB Dixie Honor, Antonio Fresu, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km
Price, base: from Dh571,000
On sale: this week
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Brief scores:
England: 290 & 346
Sri Lanka: 336 & 243
Results for Stage 2
Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race
Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Austrian Grand Prix race timings
Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE
Friday
Noon-1.30pm First practice
4-5.30pm Second practice
Saturday
1-2pm Final practice
4pm Qualifying
Sunday
4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
