Clippers' Batum 'called Tony Parker right away' after 1st seeing Wembanyama

Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum knew there was something special about Victor Wembanyama from the very first time he encountered the French big man.

As Batum recounted to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, he was leaving a French men's basketball team practice in Paris four years ago when Wembanyama caught his attention. Soon after, Batum had fellow Frenchman and then-Charlotte Hornets teammate Tony Parker on the phone, letting him know what he had just witnessed.

"I saw this 14-year-old kid walking, and I said, 'Hold up. Let me watch this kid play,'" Batum said. "I saw him moving, dribbling, and I called Tony Parker right away and said, 'We got to get this guy Victor Wembanyama.'

"For anyone listening, I have been telling people during the last four years about him. They're listening now."

Wembanyama, who stands at 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan, is widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The 18-year-old played his first game in the United States on Tuesday night as the G League Ignite hosted his club, the Metropolitans 92 of the French LNB Pro A league, in an exhibition match. Wembanyama finished the game with 37 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 7-of-11 from three, along with five blocks and four rebounds.