Victor Wembanyama to learn NBA destination at Tuesday's Draft Lottery

Academy Awardwinner Michael Douglas loves basketball. He’s a big Miami fan,mainly because of his relationship with Heat President Pat Riley.He’s followed the game for decades.

He’s gone toa couple French league games in recent weeks for onereason:VictorWembanyama,the 7-foot-3 French phenom who is alreadycapturing the basketball world’s imagination and attention.

“I’ve seenVictor play twice in person and twice on television,” Douglas, whohas been working near Paris playing the role of Benjamin Franklin,told The Associated Press. “And I went specifically to just see himplay.”

As Douglassaid in his famous role as Gordon Gekko, “I wanna know where hegoes.”

So doeseverybody else. Finally, the answer is coming. On Tuesday night,Chicago plays host to the NBA draft lottery, an event where 14ping-pong balls go into a hopper, and the numbers of the first fourballs to pop out will be matched to a combination assigned to ateam.

That teamwins the No. 1 pick. Spoiler alert: They’ll use it to chooseWembanyama on June 22.

“Pray forVictor,”Houston owner TilmanFertittatold Houston television station KPRC back inFebruary at a Mardi Gras celebration, when the Rockets were in thesecond half of their dreadful season and with the team well on itsway to the lottery at that point.

He didn’t sayWembanyama. He didn’t have to. Everybody knows what he meant.

The Rockets,San Antonio and Detroitallhave the best chance of landing Wembanyama— 14% apiece,or about 7-1.

The oddsdecrease a bit as one goes down the line of the other lotteryhopefuls: Charlotte (12.5%), Portland (10.5%), Orlando (9%),Indiana (6.8%), Washington (6.7%), Utah (4.5%), Dallas (3%),Chicago (1.8%), Oklahoma City (1.7%), Toronto (1%) and New Orleans(0.5%).

“I’m alive. Ihave ears and I can see TV and there’s a lottery. Yes, I’ve thoughtabout it,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said on the day histeam’s season ended in April. “Duh. Did you think I didn’t, that Ilive in a phone booth?”

NBA rulesprohibit teams from discussing draft-eligible players publicly,until they’re announced as candidates for the draft. Key wordthere: publicly. They’ve all been talking among themselves aboutWembanyama for a couple of years now, trying to find the new waysto describe a skyscraper of a teen who can shoot, pass, dribble anddefend.

So have a tonof NBA players, even the game’s biggest stars. LeBron Jamesfamously called Wembanyama “an alien,” and Giannis Antetokounmpo —who said he enjoyed hearing that Wembanyama counts him among hisfavorite players — insisted that the kid should make immediateimpact in the NBA.

“At the endof the day, as we know, NBA players also will want to make surethat when someone gets so much hype, that they let him know whatit’s about,” NBA great and soon-to-be Basketball Hall of Famer PauGasol said. “He’s going to be challenged. But great players thriveoff of challenge, right? So, I expect him to continue to progressand continue to get better and continue to show why people are soexcited about him at this point.”

There aresome other sure-fire lottery picks in this draft that should maketeams better as well — among them, Alabama’s Brandon Miller, twinbrothers Amen and Ausar Thompson of the Overtime Elite program, andScoot Henderson of the G League Ignite. It was announced MondaythatHendersonwill be mentored on and off the court by four-time NBA championStephen Curryof the Golden State Warriors.

“I have beenwatching Scoot and his family for a while now, and I am beyondimpressed with what he has accomplished thus far, and excited towatch him take control of his future and grow,” Curry said whileannouncing the alliance with Henderson — whose team played againstWembanyama’s team last fall in a pair of exhibitions near LasVegas, part of the buildup toward this draft.

Henderson exudes confidence,and believes he’s earned theright to be in the No. 1 conversation.

“I think Ican make a big difference,” Henderson said.

Wembanyamawon’t be at the lottery; his French team, Boulogne-Levallois, has agame Tuesday. It’ll be a little after 2 a.m. Wednesday in Pariswhen the results are announced.

It’ll be thestart of a new chapter,ashis current one is coming to a joyful end.Thewinding-down of his French career has been a celebration, and it’llonly continue.

Wembanyama’spro career started with the French club Nanterre. His Metropolitans92 team went to Nanterre last week and got an 82-72 victory — andit seemed like none of the home fans cared that their teamlost.Wembanyama went into thestands after the game,hugging Nanterre fans and posingfor pictures, before returning to the court and hugging teamofficials and others as tears welled in his eyes.

They aresaying “au revoir.”

The NBA isabout to say “bonjour.”

“I foundVictor highly intelligent, he speaks English well, taught himselfby English speaking television shows,” Douglas said. “He has aclose-knit family and is very tight with his management team. Heseems to have an inquisitive mind, interested in many things offthe court.”

And as forwhat Douglas tells Wembanyama about what awaits, his answer wassimple: Enjoy.

“The pressureof being No. 1 is a high-quality problem,” Douglas said. “Don’t letit overwhelm the joy of the moment. Victor is an impressiveall-around young man.”

Let thejourney begin.