The first overall picks in the NHL and NBA met each other in Chicago for the first time as the San Antonio Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama was introduced to the Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard.
Both players have been described as once-in-a-generation talents – with the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama’s freakish height and great scoring ability heralded as much as the speed and skill of the 5-foot-10 Bedard.
With Wembanyama in Chicago to take on the Bulls, the meeting was arranged between the two top choices in their sports’ respective 2023 drafts.
Wemby tried his hand at shooting the puck and taking a faceoff – with Bedard there to provide pointers as well.
In a snippet of an interview set to air with the NHL, the Blackhawks provided a sneak peak into what to expect in a sit-down between the two athletes.
‘I don’t know much about hockey,’ Wembanyama admitted to Bedard, ‘I read a little bit before coming here.
‘You’re at the start of your career. I had heard of you, like, way before. I just started learning a little bit more, it’s dope. Congrats.’
Bedard told Wembanyama, ‘I’ve been following [you] a lot,’ before asking the Frenchman if he’s ever seen a hockey game before.
‘Full game? No, but I love when people just start fighting. It just looks out of this world.’
Wembanyama then asked if fighting happens all the time, to which the Canadian replied, ‘Probably not now, if you look at like the ’80s and stuff it’s like ten times a game. Pretty crazy. But know, I don’t know, maybe every other game.’
The two rookies are leading the rest in their class this season with top-notch scoring up to this point.
But in the game he played on Thursday night against the Bulls, Wembanyama shot the ball about as well as he shot the puck with Bedard – going 3-for-8 from the field.
He logged seven points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three blocks in a 114-95 loss to Chicago.
His next game is Saturday night against the rival Dallas Mavericks.
As for Bedard, he plays his next game at home against the Montreal Canadiens.
