Daily Times

San Antonio:French teenager Victor Wembanyama admitted to having “butterflies” on Tuesday as he prepared to make his regular season NBA debut for the San Antonio Spurs.

The gifted number-one draft pick will be the center of attention across the league on Wednesday when he takes to the court in San Antonio’s home game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The talented 19-year-old is widely regarded as a once-in-a-generation player, tipped to have the same kind of impact on the NBA that LeBron James had when he landed in the league 20 years ago.

The sprawling Texas metropolis of San Antonio has quickly embraced Wembanyama, with murals devoted to the rising star popping up across the city since his selection in the NBA Draft in June. San Antonio sandwich shops have named snacks after the teenager, while one mariachi band in the city has even dedicated a song to Wembanyama.

More than 13,000 fans turned up to a Spurs pre-season practice to watch him while NBA executives say the Frenchman has attracted 95 million views across the league’s social media channels during the offseason — more than any other player in the league.

Wembanyama has taken the soaring hype in his stride, showing no sign of stage fright in a series of sparkling pre-season performances for San Antonio.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday on the eve of his debut, the 7ft 4in (2.25m) tall teenager acknowledged some nervous excitement as his personal D-Day approached.

“Some butterflies in my stomach, like I have before every match, depending on what’s at stake,” Wembanyama said. “But it’s not like I’m shaking either — just a little stomach ache.”