ESPN analyst Marty Smith went to extreme lengths to join in the pre-draft hype around San Antonio Spurs No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama.
Smith often covers NASCAR and college football for the network rather than the NBA but could not resist a special hair cut in honor of Wembanyama.
According to Smith’s Twitter, he went to ‘Mr. Joe Barber’ who has been known for creating Spurs players’ likenesses in fans haircuts for over 15 years.
He also had an ESPN logo that was dyed in red emblazoned onto the side of his head next to the Wembanyama caricature.
And now, the ‘alien’ has landed in San Antonio – who struck gold when they came out first in the NBA Draft Lottery earlier in the year.
After the announcement, Smith appeared on ESPN’s broadcast at the draft watch party taking place in the Spurs’ home stadium where he displayed the cut by turning his head to the camera and removing a white Cowboy hat.
Back at Barclays Center, the teenager broke down in tears as he sat with his family as the pick was announced.
‘It’s just… accomplishing something that I’ve been dreaming of, you know, my whole life,’ Wembanyama told ESPN. ‘Hearing that that sentence from Adam Silver, you know, I’ve dreamed of it so, so much that, you know, I gotta cry, man.’
Wembanyama arrived in New York on Monday ahead of the Draft in Brooklyn and has been on a whirlwind tour of the Big Apple ever since.
He was at the New York Yankees on Tuesday night for their game against Seattle Mariners and threw the first pitch at Yankee Stadium.
Amusingly, Wembanyama wasn’t as accurate with a baseball in his hand – his throw went wide and almost missed the catcher.
But in Texas, he won’t have as many issues with the Spurs who will now officially sharpen the focus in building the team around the Frenchman. Wembanyama will be coached by Gregg Popovich.
The team was last in the Western Conference last season, ending the campaign with a miserable 22-60 record.
Speaking earlier this week, Wembanyama revealed he needs to eat five times a day – as much as possible – to power his towering frame and that he wants to bring French food over to his new home.
‘I’ve got to eat wherever I can,’ the Frenchman, who speaks perfect English, explained to Good Morning America. ‘Before practice, after practice, before I go to bed, after waking up, before the nap, after the nap.’
