Victor Wembanyama is a wizard with a basketball. Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, he showed off his talents — or lack thereof — with a baseball.
The projected No. 1 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA draft at Barclays Center, Wembanyama was invited by the Yankees to throw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of their game against the Seattle Mariners.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman is lucky he’s being drafted for his basketball skills and not his pitching. He confidently took the mound while getting the crowd involved, but sent the pitch wide right of the catcher.
French NBA prospect Victor Wembanyama throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Seattle Mariners vs Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POSTThe prospect then threw a ball — intentionally — into the stands for fans, and seemed to terrify Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
While he won’t go down in the annals of MLB first pitch Hall of Shame alongside 50 Cent and Conor McGregor, his trip to New York won’t be defined by his bad one-pitch outing.
Wembanyama hasn’t been afraid of being in the spotlight since arriving in the Big Apple.
Victor Wembanyama was interviewed by YES reporter Meredith Markovits before throwing out the first pitch Tuesday. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POSTHe was greeted by a mob of fans who wanted to get the future pro’s autograph and photo when he landed at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, and while shocked, Wembanyama enjoyed the attention.
“I don’t know how they knew what flight I was on, but it’s fun,” the center said on his way out of the airport.
“It’s different, seeing that you can have such impact on people.”
French NBA prospect Victor Wembanyama on the field during batting practice JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Victory Wembanyama showed off a baseball in his huge hands before throwing out the first pitch Tuesday. Victory WembanyamaLong touted as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James, Wembanyama also took the subway for the first time on Tuesday, making an unmistakable presence on the train en route to Yankee Stadium.
Prior to the first pitch, he took a stab at batting practice and showed decent form on his swings — though he probably won’t be taking a mid-career hiatus from basketball like Michael Jordan.
Wembanyama was mobbed when he landed at Newark International Airport on Monday.
Wembanyama, the owner of a freakish 8-foot wingspan, also posted a picture on his Instagram showing how comically small a baseball looks in his massive hands.
Wembanyama’s size, in combination with his guard-like skills, make the big man a can’t-miss-prospect for the San Antonio Spurs, holders of the top pick in Thursday’s draft.
