“What was I going to do?” Coach Gregg Popovich hilariously recalls falling asleep as phenom Victor Wembanyama was drafted

Gregg Popovich admitted that he was asleep on his flight to Europe when the Spurs hit the lottery for the No.1 draft pick of Victor Wembanyama.

“What was I going to do?” Coach Gregg Popovich hilariously recalls falling asleep as phenom Victor Wembanyama was drafted

Coach Gregg Popovich talks about drafting Victor Wembanyama (via iHeartRadio)

The San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, in a media interaction, admitted to something interesting. Popovich admitted he was asleep on his flight to Europe when the Spurs hit the lottery for the No. 1 draft pick. The Spurs went on to draft the phenom rookie Victor Wembanyama. Popovich will aim to turn their future around after missing the playoffs in the last few years.

The anticipation by the Spurs management was at an all-time high, with all its executives biting their nails. At the exact moment, the Hall-of-Fame head coach fell asleep on his flight to Italy. Popovich when asked about his views on when the organization won the Wembanyama lottery on the night of May 16, Popovich said that he knew the potential of Wembanyama, but he chose not to bother himself about the result of the lottery as he believed anything could happen.

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Gregg Popovich, in a statement, shared:

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The draft comes and all that, I watch some film, but I didn’t really pay any attention to it because you don’t think you’re gonna get him. In fact, when we did get him, I was on a flight to Italy. Like, the club wondered, why would do that? Seriously. What was I going to do? Jump in the [NBA lottery] machine, then move the ping pong balls…
Gregg Popovich via press conference in Los Angeles.

Popovich also added: 

But there wasn’t much I could do. I was asleep. My son-in-law nudged me, woke me up, and said, ‘Hey, you guys got the first pick.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s good.’ After that, I started watching film and seeing who he was.

Victor Wembanyama was said to be nervous before his debut in the league

The San Antonio Spurs’ No.1 pick, Victor Wembanyama is known for his impressive scoring ability and his defensive prowess. The 7-foot rookie phenom was found to be nervous before the night of his first big game in the NBA. Wembanyama, in a media interaction, addressed his underwhelming performance on his debut night.

Victor Wembanyama Gregg Popovich
Victor Wembanyama (via Yahoo Sports)

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, in a media interaction, said: 

Some butterflies in my stomach, like I have before every match, depending on what's at stake. But it's not like I'm shaking either — just a little stomachache. I thought a month ago that some preseason games would prepare me for this moment, but it's totally different, but I know nobody has seen my best so far.
Victor Wembanyama via press conference.

Wembanyama will take some more time to build chemistry with his teammates before showcasing his high-level skills. So far, he has shown glimpses of what he could do. In time, he will become the player he was hyped to be.

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