Not solely did Victor Wembanyama brake many information in his first NBA season and rightfully earned the Rookie of the Yr award, he most not too long ago is coming from enjoying in six high-pressured contests on the Paris Olympics, and admitted to have discovered many classes after competing on the highest worldwide degree.
“It’s exhausting to win video games within the Olympics. But it surely’s very simple to lose video games,” mentioned the No. 1 decide of the 2023 Draft, as he revealed that he had by no means skilled strain of this kind throughout his short-lived profession. He now understands at it would take “a very long time earlier than I expertise one thing comparable to this” within the NBA, until his staff returns to the playoffs.
Throughout San Antonio’s media day this week, the French star spoke of his Olympic classes. “It was possibly essentially the most intense sports activities expertise in my life,” Victor shared. “I felt actually fortunate to have the prospect to reside these experiences. I felt proud as properly. Throughout all elimination video games, for 40 minutes we had been locked in serious about one factor: the subsequent play.
Victor Wembanyama was requested by reporters how he plans to handle expectations in 12 months 2.
His response: “I don’t have any duty to any of you, actually.”
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— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 1, 2024
“As a staff, it builds one thing to have this degree of focus, all of us in direction of the identical purpose. The emotion is simply an excessive amount of to include. You need to scream or cry a bit bit. It’s an excessive amount of to include.”
The 20-year-old has been very vocal about wanting to point out himself with clear manifestation, after what he thought of a hard-worked offseason. The Spurs massive man assured that his goal this 12 months is extra collective that final 12 months, as he needs to return his franchise to playoff competition.
“These expectations, I simply handle like I’ve managed all of the others for years,” mentioned Wemby, who produced averages of 21.4 factors, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per sport in his rookie 12 months. “I simply give attention to my precise obligations. I can say I’m glad these talents are being acknowledged.”
The participant has additionally modified bodily, as he’s 25 pound heavier than firstly of his first marketing campaign. “My emphasis is at all times going to be on successful and making my teammates higher. It’s no completely different than earlier years. It’s simply that final 12 months, our expectations had been to be taught and know ourselves. This 12 months, we count on from us to win,” he assured.
Coach Popovich acknowledged that his pupil is stronger and wiser than earlier than, particularly after his expertise representing France up to now Olympics
Wembanyama’s improvement hasn’t gone unnoticed by his coach. “He improved steadily all through the Olympics and ended up being very formidable,” Gregg Popovich mentioned. “His aggressiveness was the massive factor, and physicality. He’s understanding what it takes, what he’s going to get, and what he’s bought to offer again to counter that sort of factor. FIBA is far more aggressive.”
“So, it was a beautiful little petri dish for him, so to talk,” he added. “To have the ability to have to do this day-after-day and each sport, that’s the place he actually rose because it went alongside. He scored 26 factors in opposition to the USA staff within the Finals. It was sort of like a David Robinson factor the place I didn’t actually know he had 26 factors. It was like that with Victor as a result of he can achieve this many various issues.”
The legendary tactician wasn’t the one one who witnessed Wemby’s greatness in these previous summer time Olympics, as new teammate Harrison Barnes watched him play too in Paris, calling the gold-medal sport a “win-win” for him as a result of he excelled on the best stage.
“It simply exhibits the expansion and maturity that he has for a man his age to be enjoying in that kind of second at dwelling,” Barnes assured throughout his media day interview. “I don’t suppose folks understand, simply, the strain he was below.”
