LeBron James pointed to the Spurs’ rare draft streak, saying San Antonio has “always gotten lucky as f—” by landing David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama with three No. 1 overall picks. James praised Wembanyama’s mentality and skill as the Spurs t
LeBron James didn’t mince words when he looked at how the San Antonio Spurs built their roster.
On a recent episode of “Mind the Game. ” James leaned into the only conclusion he could make after the Spurs landed the No. 1 overall pick three times—and used each one to select what he described as generational talent. “San Antonio continues to get lucky as f— with these generational. talented. IQ. smart. ” he said. before adding. “Keep the main thing the main thing.”.
It’s a run that stands out even in an NBA filled with hype. The Spurs drafted David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama with those No. 1 picks. Robinson and Duncan are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. while Wembanyama has already logged three seasons and has done things James says no one in the league has really seen before.
James kept praising what he sees beyond the stats—especially the mindset. “Guys who have this dead-serious mentality,” he said. “They have these horse blinders on, and they’re like, ‘The mission is the mission.’ It’s all that matters, and it’s pretty remarkable to see.”
That mindset has followed Wembanyama directly into the Western Conference Finals. San Antonio is tied 1-1 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Wembanyama’s Game 1 performance set the tone.
In Game 1, the 22-year-old recorded 41 points and 24 rebounds in the Spurs’ win. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to record more than 40 points and more than 20 rebounds in their conference finals debut. He also joined David Robinson as the only players in Spurs history to record more than 40 points and 20 rebounds in a playoff game.
James said Wembanyama’s preparation shows up in how he plays and how he carries himself. “He has the ability to do things that we haven’t seen in our league ever,” James said. “His IQ. like you can tell by the way he talks. you can tell by his demeanor he knows the game. He was taught the game the right way.”.
San Antonio’s split in the series didn’t come from a lack of effort. In the Spurs’ Game 2 loss to the Thunder on Wednesday night, Wembanyama played well, but it wasn’t enough to swing the game. He finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.
The Spurs have plenty of reasons to believe that kind of talent can carry a team far. Robinson won two NBA championships with San Antonio, and Duncan won five championships.
Now the hope is that the same draft luck—the three times the Spurs grabbed the No. 1 overall pick and turned each into a franchise defining player—can translate into more titles in Texas.
Wembanyama and the Spurs will play the Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET. Game 3 will be the first home game of the series for San Antonio.
LeBron James San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama David Robinson Tim Duncan NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick Western Conference Finals Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1 Game 2 Mind the Game