Fans of the silver and black are expected to pack the AT&T Center and sports bars around the Alamo City as the Spurs moment has arrived to select Victor Wembanyama with their first pick during the NBA draft Thursday night.
Spurs fans who saw the glory days of the team's five NBA Championships diminish quickly after the retirement of Tim Duncan are hugely excited by this "generational" prospect expected to quickly turn the team's losing ways around.
That's a lot of pressure on the 7-foot-4 "Wemby," who is said to have great offensive and defensive skills and has drawn comparisons to past Spurs greats Duncan and David Robinson and NBA star Lebron James. Duncan and Robinson were both number one picks who led to the team to NBA Championships.
The biggest watch party is Thursday night at the AT&T Center, where the doors open at 5:30 and the draft broadcast will be shown live at 6:30.
Tickets are free at Spurs.com but are only good as long as capacity lasts inside the center.
An after-draft party follows at 8:30 p.m., including live music.
Spurs officials encourage fans to dress for the heat, wear sun protection, and drink plenty of water as they wait in line to enter.
A major heatwave continues to grip the city this week and next and may last through the Fourth of July weekend.
The Coyote, games, and giveaways are expected to be part of the fun to usher in the Wemby era.
Parking for the event is free.
