Getty Victor Wembanyama, Spurs No. 1 pick
LAS VEGAS – It was with 7:45 to go in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Blazers that Victor Wembanyama’s 2023 NBA Summer League story flipped. He had followed up a disappointing nine-point effort in the highly anticipated opener on Friday with an ineffective first quarter, in which he made one 17-foot jumper and the Spurs scored a grand total of just eight points.
But Wembanyama made an on-the-move elbow jumper that seemed to energize him, and followed that up with a dunk off an offensive rebound a minute later. Another dunk on a fast break and, quite suddenly, what had been a sputtering Wembanyama hype train was racing forward at full speed for the first time this summer.
He would finish the game with 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, showing off the fluidity, grace and mental steel that had been part of his billing before he was made the No. 1 pick by the Spurs last month.
So what happened that turned things around for Wemby? Just getting back to basketball, after weeks of hype and hoopla around his ascension into the NBA, helped.
“In the past month, I think basketball was not even 50% of my schedule,” he said. “I can’t stand it. It is a special moment in my life but I am glad it is over. I just want to hoop. I want to work out, lift, because this is my life. Obviously, every first pick has got to go through this. But it just makes me better for the future.”
Victor Wembanyama is insane man. I’ve never seen someone grab their own rebound like this and finish 😂
Wembanyama Disappointed With Another Loss
It has not been easy for Wembanyama, as is often the case for big men in Summer League. Much of the action runs through the backcourt, and with little practice time, guard play can be disjointed. That was the case for the Spurs for the opener and in the beginning of their game on Sunday.
But starting with the elbow jumper, Wembanyama seemed to make a mental effort to put his mark on the game and, thus, the Summer League in general. He was efficient, making nine of his 14 shots, and scoring seven points form the free-throw line. He shot 2-for-4 from the 3-point line.
“To me, it’s just me getting comfortable with myself and my body on the court because before today, I had two practices and one game,” he said. “So, it’s just, I was getting going.”
He was not happy with the result, though, as the Spurs now slip to 0-2 in Summer League play despite a late rally in the fourth quarter. San Antonio trailed by as many as 19 points in the game and 16 points in the fourth quarter, but got the lead to just two points with under a minute to play. A Wembanyama miss on a 3-pointer with 13.4 seconds to go sealed the Spurs’ fate.
“I think I could have done more to help my team in this game,” Wembanyama said. “We’ve got to keep learning, and we haven’t bene playing our best for three quarters, but in the fourth we were dominating. It shows the personality of the team. Me personally, I’m just, it’s normal to get better every game.”
Much-Needed Break Ahead for Wembanyama
One thing that has become clear in recent days is that Wembanyama has had about enough of the spotlight for the time being. He has been gracious with the media, and does his press conferences in both English and French, meaning he must answer our repetitive questions in two languages.
But he is looking forward to getting away. If you are getting tired of Wembanyama-mania, don’t worry. So is he.
“I gotta talk with Pop,” he said. “I am going to listen to what he is going to say, and I am ready to make any sacrifice for the team, give 100%. I need to sit down with the Spurs to know what the next few months are going to look like. When to go on vacation, when to start back working out, where I am going to practice—in San Antonio, somewhere else. I got two or three great months that are coming, and they are going to change my life.
“I am probably going to disappear from the media for the next month, honestly.”