San Antonio Spurs Season Preview: Is Victor Wembanyama Ready for Ultimate Spotlight?
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has never focused on attention.
Standing 7-4 as just a 19-year-old, it's hard to avoid, however. Everybody wants to know how he got that tall, how tall his family is and when he was younger, they probably asked him if he played basketball.
The latter is no longer a question, though. It's a fact.
As quickly as the rookie likely figured out he was well-suited for the sport, he's become one of its premiere faces. An icon, right down to the magazine covers.
Now, that icon is set to continue his basketball journey. In just a few hours, Wembanyama will take center court with Dereck Lively II and — barring any weirdness — win the opening tip. His regular-season debut is fast approaching, and he's excited.
Both he and his teammates.
Oct 9, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center.
© Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
"They know I don't care about [media attention]," Wembanyama said of the Spurs. "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 ... I'm like, 'What can we do today to make this team better?'"
All offseason, that's been San Antonio's cadence. Whether it was picking up a veteran in Cedi Osman, extending existing pieces like Zach Collins, Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell or simply drafting new talent — Cissoko should be mentioned here — it made that goal very clear.
Still, Wembanyama headlined the list of moves made by the Silver & Black.
He was the reason San Antonio got extra attention, why it'll be featured on national TV 19 times throughout the regular season and why the Spurs are now a must-see basketball team, especially if he continues to impress with every passing game.
Not much will change for the Spurs star with the start of the regular season. Sure, he'll see more game time as each contest matters from here on out, but besides that, the biggest difference lies in the pressure. That raises one simple question:
Is he ready for the ultimate spotlight?
To this point, Wembanyama has been the star of the better part of viral basketball clips online. Anything from his range to his hands to his mobility and even his stride has made even his teammates stop in their tracks to make sense of what they just witnessed. Putting on a show isn't anything new to the rookie however.
"[My teammates] have learned to play with me quicker than anywhere I've been before," Wembanyama said. "It comes down to how well we know each other."
The Spurs have begun to find a cohesiveness alongside Wembanyama during preseason, which gives them a leg up on their competition. Half of the battle this season for San Antonio's opponents will be figuring out how to adjust to the French phenom's unique play style. Teams can watch film all they want, but actually playing against a power forward who can block 3-pointers seemingly with ease is difficult.
The Dallas Mavericks will have the first crack at it in the regular season, but as much as they've been waiting to tipoff their regular season and get started on the right foot, Wembanyama has too.
In fact, he's been waiting for it for quite some time.
"I've always had this ambition, ever since I knew what the draft looked like I wanted to be first," Wembanyama said. "If I had a chance to talk to my younger self, I wouldn't say anything. I wouldn't change anything about the path here."
So, the stage is set. Wembanyama is about to play his first game in the NBA that counts. The Spurs may not be instant title contenders, but taking down a high-powered Mavs team will give them hope and reveal flashes of exciting potential.
But Wembanyama does, too. As he continues to develop, he won't stay stagnant in his game, which just makes things harder. And not only for the Mavs, but the entire NBA.
"I've been working better than any other moment in my life," Wembanyama said. "Harder, but also smarter. I think this offseason will make a difference. Not just for this upcoming season, but also in the next few years."
