Victor Wembanyama’s long-awaited NBA Summer League debut was less than spectacular.
Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in last month’s NBA draft, scored nine points on 2-for-13 shooting in San Antonio’s 76-68 victory over Charlotte at a sold-out Thomas and Mack Center on Friday night in Las Vegas. The 7-foot-3 native of France added eight rebounds, five blocks and three assists in 27 minutes of action.
“All in all, I think he did a good job. … You can see his basketball IQ is elite,” Spurs summer coach Matt Nielsen told the Associated Press.
Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall pick out of Alabama, scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 31 minutes for Charlotte. Miller was playing in his third Summer League game after scoring 18 on Monday and six on Wednesday.
NBA Summer League games rarely sell out, but Friday’s game packed 17,500 into UNLV’s home arena.
“I’m glad a lot of people could get to see us play,” Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama’s on-court debut capped a wild week for the 19-year-old rookie, whose security detail was involved in an altercation with pop superstar Britney Spears in the lobby of a Las Vegas casino on Wednesday, in which Spears initially claimed she was “backhanded” by a member of the NBA player’s entourage while trying to tap Wembanyama on the shoulder. No charges were filed after surveillance video revealed Spears inadvertently struck her own face with own hand as security was moving her away from Wembanyama, knocking her sunglasses off.
Wembanyama and the Spurs are back on the court Sunday vs. Portland. The NBA Summer League runs through July 17.
