"It's very possible that he'll be the face of basketball. Not just NBA basketball, but world basketball," said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.

At this point, there is no Victor Wembanyama in this season's NBA rookie class. There is no Paolo Banchero. And there's no Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, Karl-Anthony Towns, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, Brandon Roy, Derrick Rose or Chris Paul, either.

The story, as Buford tells it, goes like this: Claudio Crippa, an international scout for the Spurs, proposed going to see a youth game before checking out Doumbouya. Buford saw Wembanyama play for the first time that day. And the seeds for the Spurs’ new master plan were immediately planted.

Buford saw Wembanyama play for the first time that day. And the seeds for the Spurs' new master plan were immediately planted. “We came to watch Victor ... in 2021, Derrick White and Dejounte ...

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) talks with guard Chris ... The strategy included trading DeMar DeRozan in 2021, Derrick White and Dejounte Murray in 2022, then Jakob Poeltl in ...

PARIS (AP) — For all the glowing things said in Paris the past few days about San Antonio phenom Victor Wembanyama ... trading DeMar DeRozan in 2021, Derrick White and Dejounte Murray in ...

At this point, there is no Victor Wembanyama in this season's NBA rookie class. There is no Paolo Banchero. And there's no Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, Karl-Anthony Towns, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin,

Wembanyama played in his homeland on Thursday as the Spurs rolled past the Pacers. Tim Reynolds | Associated Press Victor Wembanyama received a warm introduction in his return to France.