SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama went to All-Star weekend in Indianapolis last year as one of the featured attractions. The San Antonio star was at the league’s Tech Summit, plus played in the Rising Stars event and was a participant in the Skills Challenge.
He left all that with a clear goal.
“Next year, hopefully, the big game,” Wembanyama said.
Next year is here. The big game — or games, perhaps — await.
Wembanyama, to no one’s surprise, is a first-time All-Star who’ll compete in the NBA’s new All-Star mini-tournament on Sunday in San Francisco. He’ll have these seven players for teammates: Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Indiana’s Pascal Siakam, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Atlanta’s Trae Young and another first-timer — Houston’s Alperen Sengun.
Wembanyama’s selection almost seemed like a formality. The league’s reigning rookie of the year is already a global name; the NBA says Wembanyama content on social media is among the most viewed of all players and his jersey ranks No. 5 on the league’s worldwide sales list.
“I’ve been talking to a few people about a moment he had when he was in New York,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “He played the Knicks on Christmas Day and then he played the Brooklyn Nets a few days later, so he spent some time in New York, and Victor, who plays chess, went down to a famous park in New York City, Washington Square Park, and brought his chess board and just began playing a few games, and within a few days, something like 100 million people had seen that on social media.
“So, it just speaks to the popularity of Victor and the dramatic interest we’re seeing in players’ lifestyles and their interests and everything they enjoy doing. That was remarkable.”
There are six All-Star rookies in this year’s event: Wembanyama, Sengun, Miami’s Tyler Herro, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams. Of that group, Wembanyama is the youngest (just turned 21), the tallest (officially 7-foot-3) and will surely be the one with the most eyeballs on him in San Francisco this weekend.
“I think that was one of the most active days that we’ve had in our group chat since the summer when Vic made the All-Star Game,” Spurs forward Harrison Barnes said. “I think it was really just a…