SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Spurs won the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery Tuesday night in Chicago, securing French player Victor Wembanyama.
This is the third time in the franchise’s history that San Antonio holds the top overall pick, both of which hold Hall of Fame titles.
Going into tonight’s lottery, the Spurs held a 14.0% chance to land the No. 1 pick, said officials in a press release.
One fan captured the moment the franchise-changing prospect was picked, sharing a video on Twitter. Fans are seen in the video at the Roo Pub after its owner announced it would pay everyone’s tab if the team landed the number one pick.
SPURS WINSPURS WINPANDEMONIUMBIENVENUE A SAN ANTONIO VICTOR WEMBANYAMA pic.twitter.com/demSoxfTfn
KSAT’s John Paul Barajas spoke with the business owner and fans at the watch party. Some even spoke on how they believe Spurs have just made history and will soon claim multiple championships.
As the team beat the odds, many fans celebrated by welcoming Wembanyama and sharing their excitement on Twitter.
Mood for the rest of my life pic.twitter.com/4jkNiJQrxd
Bonjour #Wemby, welcome to the 210! Last No.1 pick was #Duncan in ’97. We’re going honking! ?? #GoSpursGo #NBADraft #Wembanyama pic.twitter.com/IbRaCpWN7Z
https://t.co/wewtb09bV8 pic.twitter.com/8ZcSCcPt88
Congratulations to our San Antonio @Spurs on getting the #1 pick in the NBA draft. Welcome to San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama!
Fans even continued a tradition of celebrating downtown, filling the streets with celebratory honking.
EVERYBODY DOWNTOWN! We’re going honking! #Spurs #PorVida #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/Mo5XAfMWtL
The love San Antonio has for the @spurs is undefeated. People are honking downtown because we got the #1 pick. #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/z4LTtVExsj
The Spurs will have the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft that will be held on Thursday, June 22 at the Barclays Center.