After winning five NBA championships between 1999 and 2014, the San Antonio Spurs have fallen on bad times.
They have had to endure the retirements of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili and the departures of Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard, and they saw their incredible streak of making the playoffs in 22 straight seasons end in 2020.
This season, they finished 22-60, which tied them for the worst record in the Western Conference.
But hope is back in San Antonio, and there is even optimism after the team won the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft and the right to draft French phenom Victor Wembanyama in Tuesday’s draft lottery.
In less than 24 hours, the Spurs have reportedly taken over 2,500 deposits for season tickets as a result, per Front Office Sports.
Since securing the #1 draft pick, the San Antonio Spurs have seen over 2,500 season ticket deposits and over 700 team app downloads.
(via @nateryansports)pic.twitter.com/uQINzQ5qws
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 17, 2023
Wembanyama, who is at least 7-foot-2, has been described as a generational prospect and the most hyped incoming rookie since LeBron James in 2003.
Despite his almost freakish height, he has excellent ball-handling skills, and his offensive game is almost fluid, which is very rare for a man his size.
All of a sudden, the Spurs are starting to establish a tradition of good or great big men, which includes Duncan, David Robinson, and Hall-of-Famer Artis Gilmore.
Now they will have to tackle the task of developing Wembanyama and building a championship team around him.
Luckily, they still have head coach Gregg Popovich, and even though he’s in his mid-70s and rumored to be nearing retirement, one has to assume he will be reinvigorated by the arrival of Wembanyama.
NEXT: Colin Cowherd Reacts To Spurs Getting No. 1 Pick