Victor Wembanyama keeps giving Spurs an unfair advantage the NBA can't match

Victor Wembanyama's value is usually measured in points, blocks, astronomical wow plays, and wins. But he's providing the Spurs with much more than that. Wembanyama is the league's best sales pitch, and he doesn't have to say a word.

That's exactly why Billy Donovan is here. The man hasn't been an assistant since the 90s, yet here we are. This excerpt from a recent Marc Stein article (paid) gives credence to that.

"Not surprised at all," one rival coach told The Stein Line. "Being the No. 1 [assistant] in San Antonio is the best assistant job in the league. I think it pretty much guarantees Billy will be a head coach again in this league."

Rumors of players trying to make their way to San Antonio have become commonplace since Wembanyama's arrival. Now, coaches are joining the fray. The new reality has never been clearer: The Alamo City is a destination city—one of the destination cities in the NBA.

Victor Wembanyama has become the Spurs' greatest recruiter

The Spurs' front office personnel don't have to go out of their way to convince players to join the Silver and Black. Wembanyama does that for them simply by existing. Fans will always back their players, and the belief in them to achieve is always high, but this shift signals an acquiescence from the rest of the NBA community. They're seeing the same thing.

The Alien is the real deal. Joining forces with him is one of the clearer paths to winning a championship, getting yourself a raise, or a promotion. Because of who Wemby is, there will always be eyes on him. San Antonio won't lack attention in the least for the foreseeable future. Quite the opposite. The scrutiny and make-believe narratives will be a constant, but that's the cost of relevancy.

That's a price worth paying because it brought Chris Paul, De'Aaron Fox, Tobias Harris, and now Billy Donovan to the team. And those are just the names that made it through the door. ESPN's Brian Windhorst was the first to predict Wembanyama having this kind of impact years ago, and he was right.

Since Wemby's ascent, Trae Young, Kevin Durant, and, recently, LeBron James have been interested in playing next to the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, according to reports. Kawhi Leonard even considered trying to make his way back to San Antonio if you believe those crazy rumors. That's a dramatic shift from what Spurs Nation is used to, and Wembanyama is the catalyst for it all.

San Antonio still deserves credit for maintaining a strong organizational culture. That's a huge part of the equation, too. Pairing that reputation with a generational superstar has created something special. Every respected vet, coach, or star linked to the Spurs reinforced the same idea. Wemby is the NBA's new lightning rod, and his presence provides an advantage nobody else can manufacture.

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