Future NBA star Victor Wembanyama had the honor of throwing the first pitch in the New York Yankees game on Tuesday night, but it didn’t go too well.
The French teenager, who landed in the United States on Monday ahead of Thursday’s draft, wasted no time visiting the country’s other iconic sports teams.
Wembanyama, 19, is used to wow on the basketball court and should continue to do so in the NBA, but his first visit to the mound could be his last.
He threw the first pitch in the Yankees’ game on Tuesday, but fired it well outside, completely missing the catcher.
Ahead of the Yankees’ game against the Seattle Mariners, the 7-foot-4 phenom shared a photo of the baseball looking oddly small in his hands.
Victor Wembanyama had the honor of throwing the first pitch during the New York Yankees game
The future NBA star shared a photo of the baseball that looked awfully small in his hands
The French phenom took the time to sign autographs for fans at the side of the pitch
The French superstar seemed to recognize how much the baseball, which looked more like a golf ball, looked in his hands when he wrote: “Lmaooooo”.
Wembanyama, dressed in a never-before-seen pair of Nike x Drake sneakers and a Yankees jersey, took the time to sign autographs for fans at the side of the field.
The sensation will be taken No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Spurs when playing the card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Wembanyama, wearing a No. 5 Joe DiMaggio jersey, took a few hits from the batting cages and showed another skill as he juggled baseball to the awe of this assembled audience.
He was also spotted chatting with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, hilariously towering over him.
He got a taste of what his life in the United States would be like when he was swarmed by fans at Newark airport on Monday ahead of the draft.
In a video obtained exclusively by Mail Sport, Wembanyama admitted he was thrilled to be in the Big Apple.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” the French phenom said via Adam Glyn.
The young Frenchman has been the biggest NBA Draft prize for more than a decade. Called a “generational talent” by none other than LeBron James, Wembanyama is athletic, talented, huge and just 19 years old.
Wembanyama will be drafted exactly two decades after James was snapped up by his hometown organization, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in 2003. He’s received praise from all corners of the world in recent months – and perhaps none more than of James’ former teammate, Richard Jefferson.
“If LeBron James showed up at this exact moment, Victor would go higher than him,” said Jefferson, a former teammate of James, during an October broadcast of NBA today.
The 7-foot-5 sensation wore a No. 5 Joe DiMaggio Yankees jersey and black shorts
He chatted with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman (L), the hilariously dominating
Wembanyama was spotted at Newark Airport in New York ahead of Thursday’s draft
The San Antonio Spurs are almost certain to take the most valuable player since LeBron James
“LeBron James, and all the things that we’ve seen — and I’m not saying he’s going to be better than LeBron James — what I’m saying is right now, I remember LeBron James there. at 20 years.
‘This player was 6ft 7in, this person is 7-[foot]-four. LeBron James would be number two if he was the exact same age in the same draft, LeBron James would be number two. That’s how crazy this kid is as a prospect.
The 19-year-old will play in the NBA Summer League in July after previous reports claimed the French phenom would be skipping the event.
Wembanyama is coming off the LNB Pro A Championship Series, where his Metropolitans 92 side were swept in a best-of-five series against Monaco.
