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Tim Bontemps, ESPN
Victor Wembanyama’s season with Metropolitans 92 ended Thursday night in Paris with a 92-85 loss to Monaco in Game 3 of LNB Pro A’s championship series, paving the way for Wembanyama to be the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft next week in Brooklyn.
Wembanyama, one of the biggest prospects in NBA history, had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks in his final game for Metropolitans 92, who were swept out of the championship series by Monaco, one of the best teams in Europe and the dominant team in France’s top league this season. Monaco’s roster features several players with previous NBA experience, including guards Mike James, Elie Okobo and Jordan Loyd and center Donatas Motiejunas.
After leading for most of the game, Monaco pulled ahead in the closing minutes thanks to back-to-back 3s from Loyd, allowing the franchise to claim its first ever French LNB Pro A title, outscoring Metropolitans 92 29-15 in the fourth quarter.
For the rest of the basketball world, however, the importance of the game was it wrapping up Wembanyama’s season in France, one that saw him claim the league’s Most Valuable Player award and lead his team to the championship round by beating his former team, ASVEL — owned by Hall of Fame point guard Tony Parker — in the semifinal round of the playoffs.
Now, Wembanyama can fully focus on next week’s NBA draft, where he will be the top pick by the Spurs when it is held at Barclays Center next Thursday night.
The 7-foot-5 French player is one of the most unprecedented prospects in the history of basketball, with a 10-foot standing reach and impressive athleticism, allowing him to cover tremendous ground defensively while being someone who can shoot outside the 3-point line offensively.
Once he’s officially a Spur, he’ll become the centerpiece of San Antonio’s rebuild, becoming the third top overall pick in the history of the franchise and following David Robinson and Tim Duncan as generational big men to go to San Antonio.
In addition to partnering with coach Gregg Popovich, Wenbanyama will also be joining a roster with talented young players around him, including forwards Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell.