The winners of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes have been decided. The San Antonio Spurs will likely be Wemby’s destination.
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In terms of fit, Wembanyama couldn’t have asked for better. With the likes of David Robinson and Tim Duncan as success stories, the French big man should find great success in the Alamo City.
However, the Spurs weren’t the only ones hoping to land the No.1 overall pick. Several other teams, including the Hornets, Rockets, Pistons and Trailblazers were in contention. With how things turned out, fans are now calling the lottery “rigged.” This, however, prompted Colin Cowherd to come to the NBA’s defense, resulting in such claims on his show, The Herd.
Colin Cowherd criticizes NBA fans who claim the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes were rigged
Heading into the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, everyone knew that this was the race for Victor Wembanyama. The Frenchman has been hailed as the greatest draft prospect since LeBron James.
So, who won the rights to such a prestigious talent? Well, it was the San Antonio Spurs who got lucky, landing the No.1 overall pick. A great success for the franchise, but this has many of the other teams calling foul play.
However, Colin Cowherd has come to the defense of the Spurs and the NBA. He ridiculed fans who claimed the draft was rigged, sarcastically suggesting that it had to be. Especially considering it was the other 13 teams that lost the chance to draft a player many have dubbed “The Alien”.
“It’s 2023. If you lose an election, if you lose Victor Wembanyama, you lose a playoff series. Of course, it’s “rigged.” That’s how losers validate losing. They’re willing to look at anything, except a mirror.”
A fair assessment from Cowherd. But, the other teams have a right to be peeved. After all, some of them lost quite a bit of money on this lottery.
Michael Jordan, Charlotte Hornets, and other NBA teams lost out big in the Wemby lottery
Victor Wembanyama to the Spurs is a perfect match. However, some of the other teams will be rightfully annoyed after the lottery. In particular, Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Hornets.
His Airness is reportedly looking to sell his 70% stake in the Hornets. And, drafting Wemby would have seen the team’s value rise significantly. To the point, where MJ could have bagged $280 million from a future deal.
But this doesn’t just affect the Hornets. Teams like the Trailblazers and Rockets will also be ruing the lottery.
What does the Blazers grabbing the third pick mean for Damian Lillard? Will the Rockets find their point guard if Scoot Henderson drops to them? So many questions to be answered and all thanks to the “rigged” 2023 lottery.
