Because I wake up at 4:30am every Saturday morning, I usually avoid Friday night basketball games in New Orleans. Helping run a bustling golf course on four hours sleep is not a good look.
But there are exceptions to every rule.
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Victor Wembanyama, the 2023 number one draft pick in the NBA, is the exception to every rule. He is a foot taller than my 6’4” frame, has an outlandish wingspan, and possesses a silky smooth three point jump shot usually found in players a foot or more shorter. He plays for the near dead last place San Antonio Spurs, who just happened to be in town this past Friday night.
Under any other circumstances, Friday night against the Spurs would not get my mojo going, but with my the opportunity to see Wemby up close and personal, I promised my son we would go.
To make it worthwhile, I also promised my son I would get tickets as close to the Spurs bench as possible so we could really take in the show.
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Friday rush hour traffic. A major accident that closed I-10. A very busy Friday workday and an impending very busy Saturday workday. Four hours of sleep. The Spurs. Should I go on?
Anyways, I put on my game face. As soon as we get there, it will all be worth it. And it was. As soon as we laid eyes on Wemby, we couldn’t really stop staring. It was mesmerizing. What kind of car must he drive? How long are those leggings he is wearing? He is two feet taller than that ref.
Oh, we had a blast. It was a good game, and Wemby finished one assist shy of a triple double. We had awesome seats, and the popcorn was extra buttery. It WAS worth all the hassle.
But then something special happened.
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Our seats were on row eight in the general vicinity of the Spurs bench, and once the game ended, a little gap opened up down to row one. I told Banks to walk right on down there. Get close. Enjoy. Who knows what might happen?
So he did, and I’ll be damned if Wemby didn’t walk right up to him on the way to the locker room and give him a high five! My son was so excited he could have run home from New Orleans! Dad! Dad! His hands are huge! They reached from my fingers to my elbow!
My boy has fist bumped and high fived any number of NBA stars, but none this big (both literally and figuratively). And I finally got one on video so that we could enjoy that moment over and over again.
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One of the most desirable, if not THE most desirable, basketball cards out there right now is anything with the name Victor Wembanyama on it. My son had gotten a gift card for Easter and was dead set on buying cards. Before he started opening the box he purchased, I joked with him. After last night, I am feeling it. And then he pulled not one, but two Victor Wembanyama cards.
It was a VERY Wemby weekend.
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Have a great week.-Benj
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