Victor Wembanyama had some words of wisdom for Kings’ second-round NBA draft pick Maxime Raynaud.
The two Frenchmen played together at a young age in France back in the day, and on draft night, Wembanyama FaceTimed Raynaud to share some advice with the No. 42 overall pick.
“We FaceTimed on draft night. I mean, he wanted to remind me that this is just a start,” Raynaud told NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan following his introductory press conference. “Like, you need to keep working, obviously. But then at the same time, he really told me to enjoy [it] because this is also my experience and my journey.
“And there’s no better way to find out how it goes than to be thrown into the fire, really. So, yeah, he was doing that. He’s a special guy.”
Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, surely knows how quickly life changes after the NBA draft.
Sacramento drafted Raynaud out of Stanford with the 12th pick of the second round, adding a 22-year-old Frenchman who is a skilled 7-foot shooter and can hold his own on the glass.
Raynaud was born and raised in Paris, France, before joining the Stanford men’s basketball program, where he earned Second-Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Most Improved Player honors as a junior. He was chosen to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team member during his final season at Stanford after averaging 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 blocks.
With Wembanyama as a trusted NBA mentor and friend, Raynaud already appears to be in good hands as he embarks on his new journey in Sacramento.
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