SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs jersey was among the most-sold in the NBA this season. But at one game during the rookie phenom's first season, a lucky young fan received the shirt straight off the Rookie of the Year's back.
For 9-year-old Noah Juarez and his mom, Brandi, taking in the Spurs’ March 11 contest against the Golden State Warriors was special in and of itself. The pair traveled from New Braunfels to see the Spurs’ 7-foot-4 sensation in person.
“We went to the game and we had some really cool seats,” says Brandi of her and Noah's experience at Frost Bank Center. “It was by the tunnel and they (the Spurs) were warming up.”
Noah and Brandi wanted to get a closer view of Wembanyama’s warmup routine.
“We decided to go down there just to see them closer," she said. "He was excited, I was excited. (We) didn’t really expect much.”
They certainly didn’t expect what happened next.
As Wembanyama finished his routine and made his way down the tunnel, he singled out Noah along the railing and gave him a high-five.
“He saw me, and he jumped a little bit to reach me!” recalls Noah.
When the game began, Wembanyama quickly assumed his role as the Spurs go-to player. With Brandi and Noah watching in the seats, Wembanyama notched a 27-point, 14-rebound performance in a losing effort against the Warriors.
But when Wembanyama made his way back down the tunnel following the final buzzer, he spotted Noah, again admiring from the top of the railing.
The NBA’s Rookie of the Year then took off his jersey and tossed it to a beaming Noah in the stands.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked, I was shaking,” says Brandi, who captured the exchange on her cellphone. “I was telling him, ‘You don’t understand what this is, do you?’”
“He is gonna be the best of the best,” she said of Wembanyama, a common opinion among fans and analysts alike.
Noah is now the owner of a Victor Wembanyama game-worn jersey. And though he may never grow into it, it’s a priceless piece from one of the best debut seasons in NBA history.
'There is no comparison'
Memorabilia expert Don Bonnin, the proprietor of Bonnin’s Charity & Auctions in San Antonio, says he asked around his network to find out what a jersey like Noah's would sell for on the open market.
“I got prices from about $30,000 to $50,000, which floored me,” says Bonnin of his estimate from would-be buyers. “If it was available now, they would give in that range.”
Bonnin says that Wembanyama merchandise is unlike he’s ever seen before from an athlete in San Antonio.
“There is no comparison. When (Tim) Duncan, (David) Robinson, and Manu (Ginobili) were playing, you could buy game-used jerseys for $3,000 or less.”
He said that Noah would need to have a certificate of authenticity for his Wembanyama jersey, but adds that since the exchange was caught on video, it’s a matter of formality.
“As far as we know, there are no game-used jerseys out there,” adds Bonnin. “That’s the only time he’s thrown one into the stands that I’m aware of.”
“So it’s pretty much a one-of-one that’s out there.”
But Noah has no plans to part with his Wembanyama memorabilia. He’s actually hoping to get it signed, and in exchange give the Spurs star one of his trading cards from his own basketball youth league.
The jersey toss was a small gesture from the humble Wembanyama, but it’s a mega-sized memory for a young fan for life.
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