Spurs Legend Johnny Moore 'Fired Up' About Victor Wembanyama
SAN ANTONIO - I had a conversation with the great Johnny Moore today.
The double zeroes he wore are hanging in the rafters of the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
After a terrific four-year run as a starter at the University of Texas, the Altoona, Pa. native wound up a south Texan for life after getting drafted by the San Antonio Spurs.
He's in his mid 60's now and coaches the ABA's Alamo City All Stars in San Antonio. Yes, the old ABA still exists! It's a league that has literally hundreds of teams spread across many regions of the country.
Anyhow, the old legend lit up when I asked him about Victor Wembanyama. He's as fired up about Wemby as any local and can't wait to use his freebie tickets this season to see the kid play in person. When your number is retired you get to go to the games for free, whether you have an actual seat or not. They will find you one.
Among the things we discussed was how polished Wembanyama is. He already understands the nuances of the game, something many American college kids or draft picks from alternative leagues in the states lack. This wasn't just two old guys pretending that everything from back in the day was better.
Fundamentals and concepts are not being taught on the youth level in America as they once were. No other country produces the athleticism that we do but players like Wembanyama show up ahead of the curve fundamentally. There is just no questioning this.
Gregg Popovich admitted as much when the Spurs signed Sandro Mamukelashvili during the season, beaming over the Tbilisi, Georgia raised veteran.
"He's European, which makes me love him right off the bat." Pop said. "I think those guys are unbelievably well coached and overall understand the game better than most of us here."
Count American-born Johnny Moore as a believer in this notion.
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