A subway ride with Victor Wembanyama to Yankee Stadium

It was a rather unremarkable Tuesday in Central Park West and Columbus Circle. Vendors sold hot dogs, coffee and overpriced bottled water nearby. A light breeze rustled the fig trees above a bike rental kiosk lined with neat rows of mint green helmets. Then, at 4:41 p.m., a black Mercedes bus crawled through the congestion of buses, police cars, and flower-decorated pedicabs.

Two teenagers watched as a lanky young man in dark sunglasses, black shorts and a white T-shirt unfolded from the van and stood over six feet tall.

“Oh my God!” said one of the teens. “It’s Victor Wembanyama!”

Wembanyama was in town for the NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Thursday, where he will almost certainly be selected No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Spurs as one of the most anticipated prospects since LeBron James. He was on his way to Yankee Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Tuesday night’s game with Seattle. But before that, he wanted to try something he’d never done before: riding the New York City subway.

“Beware of your head!” a police officer bellowed as Wembanyama walked through the station and ducked under a cream-colored pipe hanging from the ceiling.

“I’m used to it,” said Wembanyama, who is at least 6 feet 4 inches tall. In France, where he grew up and played professional basketball last season for Metropolitans 92, he often rode the Paris metro. By now, at age 19, he’s generally used to shaking his head to keep it from hitting things.

He had flown to the New York area Monday afternoon when he was swarmed by fans at Newark Liberty International Airport. Now he had just visited the NBA players’ union offices on Sixth Avenue, about a block from Bryant Park. He had to catch a D train to the Bronx at Columbus Circle. A teammate from France, Bilal Coulibaly, who is also expected to be called up early on Thursday, Wembanyama’s agents and his communications manager had come along.

Wembanyama’s family met him at the subway station – his parents, brother and sister – as did police officers, NBA security personnel, in-house content producers for the NBA, and reporters and photographers from two French news outlets and The New York Times. It was a formidable group for a Tuesday afternoon subway.

Harry Cisse, 17, who was on his way to a friend’s graduation, took a deep breath as the group boarded the train, leaving little room to move or breathe.

“WELCOME TO NEW YORK!” a woman’s voice echoed in the distance as the train began to move. She added, as Wembanyama stood head down in the middle of the car, “HOW TALL IS HE?”

Sebastian Cardona, 22, immediately texted and called some friends on FaceTime using his iPhone to let them know he was on the train with Wembanyama.

Rookie of the Year! Cardona yelled before trying to persuade Wembanyama to turn around for a photo. Cardona was also on his way to the Yankees. He said he knew Wembanyama would throw the first pitch, but never expected to see him on the subway.

A few feet away, a woman yelled in French for Wembanyama to turn around. He obliged a few times and smiled for her photos. Aladji Sacko, 25, a Frenchman now living in New York, stood next to the woman on her way home.

“I’ve only seen him on TV,” Sacko said with a grin. A few minutes later, he zigzagged through the crowded car to sneak closer for a photo.

After the first stop, at 125th Street, Wembanyama found a seat. Two seats away, a woman’s headphones flickered colored lights. She closed her eyes and ignored the bustle around her.

Wembanyama smiled as he sat, then spent most of the ride as anyone would—checking his phone, chatting with his companions. He did a short interview with the NBA’s entertainment group and told them that he wished he had the opportunity to visit more of the city. After Thursday evening, Wembanyama is expected to be taken to San Antonio.

It took four stops on the D train to get from Columbus Circle to Yankee Stadium. Wembanyama and his court exited the train together and climbed a yellow-tiled stairwell to the Bronx. People driving and cycling past Wembanyama shouted to get his attention. A person in a car yelled, “Go Spurs!” and Wembanyama smiled to acknowledge the cheer.

Fans waiting in line to enter Yankee Stadium grabbed their cell phones to record Wembanyama passing by, talking excitedly about the NBA draft.

At the stadium, Wembanyama spent some time in the dugout with Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, perhaps getting some advice on his approaching pitch. Wembanyama played with a baseball that resembled a golf ball in his outsized hands. He left the dugout to sign autographs and pose for photos with children.

He had more than an hour before his throw.

When the time finally came, he clapped as he approached the hill. The crowd, still entering, cheered to welcome him. Wembanyama liquidated and threw the field out too far for Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt, stationed behind home plate, to catch it.

Wembanyama shrugged and then laughed.