San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been unanimously named the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year.
The Frenchman outshone fellow finalists Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren and Charlotte Hornets wing Brandon Miller following a sensational debut season in the league, marked by immense expectations.
Sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, with whom Wembanyama has an endorsement deal, surprised the big man with an exhibition featuring past NBA Rookie of the Year winners.
The exhibition showcased jerseys and rookie cards of these players, all of which are sold by Fanatics.
Some of them, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Paul, David Robinson, Pau Gasol, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, and Grant Hill, sent their congratulatory messages via video recording.
Victor Wembanyama did not know about the exhibit
The surprise began when Wembanyama visited the Spurs' home arena, Frost Bank Center, on Monday, May 6, under the guise of being invited to attend a Fanatics exhibit featuring memorabilia from some NBA legends.
The gesture involved meticulous effort among those involved, including keeping the true purpose of the visit secret from the 7-foot-4 center and figuring out how to film the events.
"Definitely unexpected. I appreciate the messages themselves as well, not just the people they were from. It feels good after giving so much effort the whole season," Wemby stated after the surprise.
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