NBA supports Victor Wembanyama making his Summer League debut in Sacramento

Jun 5, 2023, 2:17 PM | Updated: 2:20 pm

TOPSHOT - Metropolitan 92's French power forward Victor Wembanyama shoots the ball during the Frenc...

(Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings Beat Writer

With June 22nd’s NBA Draft just over two weeks away, the Victor Wembanyama buzz is beginning to reach its peak.

The soon-to-be San Antonio Spurs big man is all but guaranteed to have his name called first when NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces the draft’s first pick at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

While there will be plenty of storylines surrounding the draft and highly touted prospects that will find out which team they will call home, Wembanyama–a 7’2 French phenom that turned 19 years old in January–will receive plenty of attention leading up to his NBA Summer League debut.

Speaking of Summer League, it’s widely been speculated that Wembanyama will make his debut in July, but it is currently unknown whether that will happen during Sacramento’s California Classic (July 3rd-5th) or at the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas (July 7th-17th).

The California Classic is coming back to Golden 1 Center this summer 👑 ☀️ https://t.co/Xhm74FzDNP

— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) May 31, 2023

During an interview with the Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds, Silver said that he supports Sacramento’s summer showcase and that the decision to play Wembanyama in the California Classic lies with the Spurs.

“All summer leagues are NBA Summer Leagues,” Silver told The Associated Press on Sunday. “I’m very supportive of the Sacramento summer league. I remember when (Kings owner Vivek Ranadive) first came to the league and said this was something he wanted to do. I said, ‘As long as you have enough other teams who support it and players who want to play in it, it’s a good thing.’”

“What’s made the summer leagues so valuable are really the media rights more than the individuals who buy tickets there because it’s a very affordable experience,” Silver said. “So, the answer is, I want Victor to get playing court experience, and I think the team–assuming it’s San Antonio–should make decisions completely independent of any commercial implications from where he debuts.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to the Associated Press – June 5, 2023

Wembanyama could debut on July 3rd in Sacramento against the Charlotte Hornets (who will pick second in the draft), meaning that the first NBA action that we see from the number-one pick could come against the second-pick at Golden 1 Center.

Once Wembanyama is selected on Thursday, June 22nd, a picture will begin to form in predicting whether or not the rookie will debut in Sacramento or choose to wait until all 30 NBA teams head to Las Vegas on July 7th.

While it’s unknown if the next great NBA star will debut in Sacramento, Silver has made it clear that the league supports Wembanyama debuting at Golden 1 Center on July 3rd.

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