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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama got emotional as he received a special surprise from NBA greats after being voted Rookie of the Year. The French youngster received all 99 first-place votes from an elite panel consisting of names like Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns. With the award, he has joined the likes of stars like Paolo Banchero, Scottie Barnes, LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, and Ben Simmons.
After being named Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama received a special surprise from the previous winners. He was invited for a special exhibit called ‘Fanatics Beginnings’ which was supposedly a memorabilia from past winners. However, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise as it was a compilation of video messages from NBA greats for the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year.
The messages from NBA legends including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Shaquille O'Neal, and Allen Iverson among other Hall of Famers left the 20-year-old emotional.
Watch the video here:
My goals were to help my team as best as I could: Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama expressed his happiness on receiving the prestigious title and said that he has always wanted to do the best for the team. Speaking to TNT, the NBA’s rising star said, “My goals were always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on. I knew in order to do this I had to be individually good on the court and dominant. So, it was a huge thing for me and a big thing to get. It’s always been really important and I’m glad it’s finally official.”
The Frenchman added, “Physically, the work is never going to be done. I’ve had my plan for months ready for all of my body and we’re going to keep discovering new ways to get better and work on my body. For basketball, there’s a lot I want to work on.”
