Victor Wembanyama, who was the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, made quite an impression during his debut in the NBA Summer League. Even LeBron James was struck by the young Frenchman’s talent, remarking that he’s not just a unicorn, but an “alien” standing at a towering 2.20 inches. However, after playing only two games, the Spurs decided to hold Wembanyama back from further participation in the Las Vegas Summer League.
During his two NBA Summer League games, the French giant made his NBA debut and impressively scored 18 points (with a shooting accuracy of 41%), grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked four shots in just 27 minutes. The young basketball player from Le Chesnay expressed that he will soon have a meeting with the San Antonio Spurs to plan out his schedule for the next few months. This will include deciding on when to take a break, commence training, and whether practices will be held in San Antonio or any other location. The athlete understands that the upcoming two to three months will be life-changing for him.
Wembanyama expressed his fatigue with basketball during this season, revealing that it only accounted for less than half of his schedule in the past month. Despite acknowledging that it’s a special moment in his life, he admitted being glad that it’s over and expressed his desire to focus on playing basketball, working out, and lifting. Regarding his participation in the Summer League, the 2.23m French phenom referred to his outstanding performance in the last game, where he scored 27 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, made one steal, and blocked three shots in just 27 minutes at the Thomas Mack Center. Wembanyama stated that although he excelled individually, he would have preferred to win the game and believed that he could have done more to help his team achieve victory. He also emphasized the importance of continuous learning and improvement in the game.
According to Victor Wembanyama, winning is the ultimate way to entertain fans during the NBA Summer League. He stated that although it’s only a summer league, progress is noticeable and that could contribute to a good show. The reason for his remarkable improvement from the first game to the second game was his increased comfort level with his body and on-court skills, despite limited practice time. Although he admits to making mistakes, Wembanyama finds the NBA Summer League less physically demanding than the games he played in France.
