2023-05-17 14:28:42
The San Antonio Spurs hit the jackpot. The Texas franchise won the NBA lottery last night and will have the first pick of the 2023 Draft, which will allow them to select the rising star of basketball: Victor Wembanyama.
The French prodigy, who has been attracting all the desires for several months, should therefore evolve in Texas next year, enough to strengthen the links between France and the Spurs. Indeed, under the impetus of several French people, the franchise has won four NBA titles since the 2000s among the five won in its history. If they have not all marked it in the same way, five French people have already worn the Spurs jersey.
Tony Parker
He is undoubtedly the best French basketball player in history. Tony Parker played for 17 seasons at the San Antonio Spurs and won four NBA titles (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), a Finals MVP trophy (2007), played 1,198 games, including 226 playoffs and scored more than 19,000 dots. The French playmaker has established himself as one of the best players in franchise history, which is why seeing Victor Wembanyama start at Spurs as ‘TP’ seems like a sign of fate.
Boris Diaw
If he has less marked the history of the Spurs than TP, the passage of Boris Diaw at the Texans remains more than honorable. Between 2011 and 2016, “Bobo” proved to Greg Popovich that he could count on him thanks to his good influence, especially on the defensive game of Spurs. In five years, Diaw has played in two NBA Finals (2013, 2014) and won his only NBA championship ring in 2014.
Nando de Colo
Long essential within the France team, Nando de Colo was less within the San Antonio Spurs. In 2009, he was chosen in the 53rd position of the draft by the Spurs, but continued his career in Europe before finally signing for the Texas franchise in 2012. During his two seasons there, the guard barely to win with very little playing time in the play-offs in his first season and a quick dismissal in his second season.
Joffrey Lovergne
Arrived from the Bulls at the end of the 2017 season, Joffrey Lovergne failed to make Spurs history. The pivot, who wore number 77, only played one season in the black and white jersey for 51 games played, including one in the play-offs. Play-offs during which the Spurs were eliminated in the first round, in five games, by the Warriors.
Ian Mahinmi
Ian Mahinmi was selected 28th in the 2005 Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. In order to continue his apprenticeship in Europe, he only joined Spurs two years later, in 2007, and became the first Frenchman to join Tony Parker.
Barred in particular by Tim Duncan, the pivot is only Greg Popovich’s fourth choice for this position and only plays six games before being sent to reserve and then returning to the Spurs in 2009-2010, without ever succeeding in impose. In total, he played 34 games for San Antonio.
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