The NBA Draft lottery does not lie, though fans throughout the league may have wished it did following the results of Tuesday's drawing.
Gregg Popovich and the Spurs emerged with the top overall pick, with the Hornets, Blazers, Rockets and Pistons — the last of which had the worst record in the NBA this season — rounding out the top five. San Antonio will use that pick, with near 100 percent certainty, to draft French prospect Victor Wembanyama, considered the best NBA prospect in generations.
The results of Tuesday's drawing drew mixed reactions from fans throughout the league — at least, if you divide them into whether they support the Spurs.
San Antonio fans were understandably elated that Popovich will get to coach Wembanyama, who joins a history of celebrated big men in San Antonio alongside former No. 1 picks David Robinson and Tim Duncan. And that's not to mention international stars such as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
"The number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft goes to...the San Antonio Spurs." 🙌#NBADraftLottery | @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/HWpPi17SaK
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 17, 2023
MORE: NBA Draft Lottery results 2023: Spurs land No. 1 overall pick
Everyone else? Their reactions were ... more muted. Here's a look at some of the notable reactions to the Spurs winning perhaps the biggest NBA Draft lottery of all time:
Live from Paris… #NBADraft prospect Victor Wembanyama reacts to the #NBADraftLottery presented by State Farm! pic.twitter.com/YBnNQ4hgQk
— NBA (@NBA) May 17, 2023
WE GOT THAT #1 PICK!!! 🎉🎉🎉#NBADraftLottery | @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/8t3TD8h1EJ
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 17, 2023
Pop running to draft Wemby after the Spurs landed the No. 1 pick 💨🤣 #NBADraftLottery pic.twitter.com/mNTL1juzdO
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 17, 2023
SPURS WIN
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) May 17, 2023
SPURS WIN
PANDEMONIUM
BIENVENUE A SAN ANTONIO VICTOR WEMBANYAMA pic.twitter.com/demSoxfTfn
Gregg Popovich when the Spurs won the Victor Wembanyama lottery pic.twitter.com/VzQs1XTF3d
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) May 17, 2023
MORE: NBA Draft Lottery winners and losers: Spurs, Hornets cash in on their luck
Popovich gets Wembanyama after coaching Duncan and Robinson.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) May 17, 2023
Yessssssssssssssssss!!! #GoSpursGo !!
— Manu Ginobili (@manuginobili) May 17, 2023
Bonjour, Je m'appelle Jeremy! Et toi?😼
— Jeremy Sochan (@JeremySochan) May 17, 2023
Pop is a witch. Duncan AND Wemby? Come on. Congrats to the Spurs fans!
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 17, 2023
So he’s going to be with Pop and the greatest PF all of time in the same city? 🤦🏽♂️
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) May 17, 2023
Gregg Popovich will coach David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama across 5 different decades. pic.twitter.com/8PtycYO8FW
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 17, 2023
I've always felt that Gregg Popovich resembled Sean Connery in The Rock before he was groomed to rescue the hostages from Alcatraz.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 17, 2023
That resemblance will only be amplified when he coaches into his 80s because of Victor Wembanyama. https://t.co/JKdrknwGNy
Congrats San Antonio!!! Lol
— Danny Green (@DGreen_14) May 17, 2023
The Spurs' mood after getting the No. 1 overall pick 🙌 pic.twitter.com/lT7g4PL5Zw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 17, 2023
