Victor Wembanyama keeping focus on basketball ahead of Summer League debut
Victor Wembanyama is gearing up for his Summer League debut with the Spurs in July.
SAN ANTONIO – With a white towel draped around his neck, Victor Wembanyama expressed relief in finally getting back to on-court work after grinding through a marathon of off-the-floor duties since San Antonio selected the forward with the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
“Ever since I stepped in the States, I’ve think I’ve spent more time with the media than on the court — I’m not going to lie,” he said. “But I’m glad it’s been settled down a little bit. Unfortunately, I had a lot to do off the court, but I’m glad this is over now, and I can focus on basketball 100%.”
Wembanyama participated in his second workout Friday under the watchful eye of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich as he prepares for his NBA Summer League debut next week in Las Vegas. Popovich won’t be coaching the summer squad but has attended every session of the club’s brief training camp.
San Antonio plays two contests in Sacramento on July 3 and July 5 before heading to Las Vegas for NBA 2K24 Summer League.
Michael C. Wright breaks down Victor Wembanyama's 1st week of practice with the Spurs as they gear up for Summer League action.
“He’s obviously had a lot going on over the last couple of weeks, finishing his own Finals series and everything else after that,” said Spurs assistant Matt Nielsen, who will coach the team in both Sacramento and Las Vegas. “The plan is he won’t come with us to Sacramento, but he’ll be ready to go in Vegas. When we leave to go to Sac[ramento], he’ll stay here and get workouts.
“He’s a fantastic basketball player. He can do a lot of things. He’s very versatile. I think that’s the exciting part. He’s got a lot to learn about NBA basketball, the Spurs way. There’s a lot going on for him, and it’s just exciting to watch him out there.”
Even though Wembanyama won’t make the trip to the California Classic Summer League, he’ll rejoin the Spurs in Las Vegas for a July 6 practice ahead of the Spurs’ opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday (9 ET, ESPN).
It’s expected Wembanyama will debut against No. 2 pick Brandon Miller and the Hornets, and play one more contest – likely July 9 against Portland — before heading back to San Antonio. The rookie expressed disappointment about staying back for the trip to Sacramento because he wanted to play against the Lakers, but he knows the Spurs are looking to scale back his workload coming off a long season in the French League.
“I don’t know how it works yet, how many minutes I’m going to play [in Las Vegas],” the 19-year-old said. “But I know I’m going to have a big role, it’s going to be intense, and I can’t wait to try to wear that Spurs jersey for the first time.”
Most of Wembanyama’s new teammates caught their first up-close glimpses of the French phenom on Thursday, with some walking away amazed at the sheer size of the 7-footer, who is listed officially by the Spurs at 7-foot-3 ½.
Second-year guard Blake Wesley noticed Wembanyama’s feet first, saying, “Oh my God, I’ve never seen feet like that.” Malaki Branham marveled at the Frenchman’s gangly digits.
“He has long fingers. That’s probably what stood out to me,” the rising second-year guard said.
The team opened its practice sessions to the media the last two days near the end of the workouts where we saw glimpses of basic shooting drills and free throws but were not allowed in the gym during the most intense portions of practice to watch potential viral moments unfold. Nielsen said, “Oh yeah,” when asked whether Wembanyama produced any such moments in his first day on the court with the Spurs.
“I can’t keep up with what goes viral these days, but he’s gonna excite some people with his play,” Nielsen said. “He’s really locked into getting better and learning.”
Victor Wembanyama’s first summer league practice. pic.twitter.com/LZ0yK8skWR
— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) June 29, 2023
Wembanyama mentioned the first principles taught to start training camp involved pick-and-roll defense. But it’s clear the rookie also learned some important information about the franchise he’ll be leading over the next several years.
“I was told beforehand that there was a good dynamic with the team on and off the court, and I’ve started to feel it already,” he said. “It just makes me even more certain that this is a good environment.”
Popovich plays a role in that, but Wembanyama hasn’t yet witnessed the wrath of a coach known for administering tough love to players regardless of Draft status. He said he’s been impressed by the coach’s daily workout regimen, which involves weight work, and time spent on both the treadmill and elliptical.
“Other than that, he communicates a lot with me, and he doesn’t want me to make mistakes,” Wembanyama said. “He’s really present, and it’s really comfortable. I thought I would experience the yelling a bit earlier, but I haven’t yet. I’m ready.”
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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