"It's very possible that he'll be the face of basketball. Not just NBA basketball, but world basketball," said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.

The story, as Buford tells it, goes like this: Claudio Crippa, an international scout for the Spurs, proposed going to see a youth game before checking out Doumbouya. Buford saw Wembanyama play for the first time that day. And the seeds for the Spurs’ new master plan were immediately planted.

The Victor Wembanyama effect is continuing to set in during "The Alien's" second season in the NBA. As Wembanyama makes his mark on the NBA, he is already drawing players that want to play alongside him—including No.