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Joon Lee, ESPN
NEW YORK — Victor Wembanyama towered over the Yankee Stadium dugout, his head extending above the roof of the dugout.
“I’ve never seen anyone do that before,” said one longtime New York Yankees staffer, who has worked for the team for nearly two decades.
Projected as the first pick to the San Antonio Spurs in Thursday’s NBA draft, Wembanyama visited the Bronx to catch Tuesday night’s contest between the Yankees and Seattle Mariners, throwing the first pitch before the game.
Victor Wembanyama’s first pitch at Yankee Stadium pic.twitter.com/S3kY9PEjVT
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) June 20, 2023
“I’ve watched a couple of games,” Wembanyama told YES Network. “I like it.”
Wembanyama said he rode the subway before the game.
“I love the location, right in the city,” Wembanyama told YES Network.
Being a New Yorker is passing out on the subway while a once in a generation basketball phenomenon attracts commotion
Photos via @NYPDTransit pic.twitter.com/kISMY20pGO
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) June 20, 2023
The basketball phenomenon spent some time around the batting cage, at one point swinging the bat of Mariners infielder Kolten Wong, while taking photos and signing autographs for fans attending batting practice. As a sign of his freshly minted deal with Nike, Wembanyama sported the unreleased Nike NOCTA Glide sneaker, the latest collaboration between the sneaker behemoth and music superstar Drake.
Imagine Victor Wembanyama, baseball player pic.twitter.com/1Up9XleF27
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) June 20, 2023
A baseball looks like a marble in Victor Wembanyama’s hands pic.twitter.com/39LNJrJPRX
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) June 20, 2023
Before leaving the field, Wembanyama met with Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, who grew up in Texas as a fan of the Spurs. Wembanyama signed a jersey for the New York backstop before leaving the field to sit in the suite of Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
These men are both professional athletes pic.twitter.com/PdClurlTW9
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) June 20, 2023
“Everything is going so fast. I just landed yesterday from France,” Wembanyama said. “I just feel extremely lucky to be here.”