SAN ANTONIO — The countdown is on to the start of the NBA Draft.
Anticipation is growing for what's expected to be a legendary first pick by the San Antonio Spurs.
Brian Birdy, a self-proclaimed super fan, hopes the team will select the top prospect: Victor Wembanyama.
"We've only had [the] number one [pick] twice before, and we took David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Two big guys who changed our team," said Birdy.
Two basketball players who are now enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The duo's picture is framed on the wall in Birdy's office at work.
"This is my team and it has been since I was 13 years old. I'm about to be 58, so 45 years of watching," he said.
Birdy watched his first Spurs game on May 16, 1979. Twenty years later he became a season ticket holder, and has been for 24 years. Birdy attends at least one home game a week. He's also attended games away.
"Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Orlando, Miami, New York, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Sacramento. I think that's it," he said. "Oh wait, Utah."
If he had to guess, Birdy would say he has 150 items in his office dedicated to the Spurs. One of his very first collector's items is from 1999.
"The one up here [on the wall] with the tickets on it is actually from one of the games from the first championships."
He has flags, photos, rings, medals, Legos, basketballs, bobbleheads and more. After Thursday night's draft, he hopes to add more merchandise of the 7-foot-3 French prospect to his collection.
"Hopefully, Wemby can be my new favorite player," he said.