'They're All There For Victor!' San Antonio Spurs' Zach Collins Speaks on Playing With Victor Wembanyama
SAN ANTONIO — Ever since the San Antonio Spurs added Victor Wembanyama to the mix, there's been no shortage of coverage for the youngest team in the league, and not only has the rookie himself noticed it, but so have the rest of his teammates.
Zach Collins is no exception.
"There's been a lot more noise than we're used to," the Spurs' starting center said on The Hoop Chat with Emily Austin. "Even my first year playing with the Spurs we had big names on the team. Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker ... we had guys that were pretty well known. The media was there, but it was also San Antonio. It's not L.A. or New York."
"Now, it feels like every game, every shoot-around, every pre-game workout there's a million cameras," he said. "There's a million media reporters, and they're all there for Victor."
Oct 9, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) shoots the ball while defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33), forward Zach Collins (23) and forward Victor Wembanyama (behind) at Paycom Center.
© Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Collins has it right. Between spending half of some interviews in French and having a packed house of reporters lining the Frost Bank Center — many of which don't speak English and spend games keeping tabs on Wembanyama even when he isn't playing — the appeal of the rookie has been obvious and apparent.
And while it seems like that might not affect players too much, Collins also spoke to the adjustment period that came with the added attention, especially in the early days.
"It's been an adjustment," Collins said. "But at the same time, you want that. You want the added pressure [and] those expectations. That means people are paying attention."
This season, that hasn't gone as planned for San Antonio. The Spurs have only come out victorious in one home game this season and have consistently been outplayed on both ends of the floor throughout the entirety of their 48-minute contests.
But regardless of the ugly results, the media remains. The fans remain.
The Spurs remain.
They've come out of every game with the same cadence. They say they're learning, they're growing and they're beginning to find a groove with each other on the court. It might not seem like it yet, but it wasn't supposed to this early into the season.
And yet, San Antonio is left to deal with the narrative that was pushed onto it — one that demanded instantaneous success. It's taken that with a grain of salt, expecting highly of itself as well, but at the same time recognizing its youth.
Of all players, Wembanyama is the one leading that group mindset.
"[My teammates] know I don't care about [the media attention]," Wembanyama said during the team's annual media day. "I'm here to make sacrifices for them, and I think they're going to make sacrifices for me ... at the end of the day, we're at practice and I'm like, 'What can we do today to make this team better?'"
As the Spurs continue to make the most of their schedule and the added pressure that's come with being a must-watch NBA franchise, they'll continue to lean on each other, and that they are, even holding a players-only meeting last weekend.
The pieces are beginning to click for San Antonio — believe it or not. The most important thing, however, is that Collins, Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs do.
They feel the pressure, and they're embracing it. One game at a time.
