The San Antonio Spurs secured their spot in the 2026 NBA Finals after a 111-103 Game 7 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder ensured the win the Western Conference Finals and secure a date against the New York Knicks to decide who’ll be the 2026 NBA Champion. Victor Wembanyama is solidifying himself as the best player in the NBA and is four wins away from reaching the pinnacle of basketball at 22 years old.
The 2026 Playoffs are also Wembanyama’s first-ever Playoff run, so every monumental win has led to Wembanyama’s emotions spilling out. Although the job is not finished, Wembanyama refuses to carry the burden of hiding his emotions, expressing exactly what he feels when on the court.
Wembanyama was visibly crying after the Spurs’ spot in the 2026 NBA Finals was confirmed, leading to many fans online hating on the French center. However, 28-year-old point guard De’Aaron Fox passionately defended the young franchise star in his post-game media interview, highlighting how his passion is a good thing.
“We played the Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back and won after coming back from down 20, and he was showing a lot of emotions that game. But that’s just who he is. He wants to win the game that badly. You don’t see that out of a lot of people. The way he approaches the game, you see it from the moment he steps onto the court. Not just the court, the practice facility. The amount of time he spends on film, he wants to win that badly.”
“The people who would make fun of him haven’t done that and probably won’t do this. I think it’s great that he shows that emotion because he wants to win that badly. He’s dragging us along, but we’re trying to push him to that mountaintop.”
Wembanyama spoke about this after the game as well, once again choking up during his press conference just by reflecting on how badly he feels the need to win, comparing it to feeling like his life depends on it.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien is a childhood dream, and having a real shot at it, having a tangible chance, it’s almost like the meaning of my life. The day we win it, speaking for myself, it’s going to be an amazing realization of a dream. I wanna win so bad. It’s like my life depends on it. My life is amazing, and being with these guys, living these things with these guys that I love so, so, so much, it’s amazing. I want to have this feeling plenty, plenty more time in my life.”
Wembanyama was awarded the Western Conference Finals MVP for averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.7 blocks over the series, becoming the first player in history to register 15+ made three-pointers and 15+ blocked shots in a series.
Even if one doesn’t agree with showing this level of emotion in front of the cameras, nobody can question Wembanyama’s love and passion for the game. He lives and breathes basketball, and he has an insatiable winning drive. The last time we saw players with such qualities, they’ve almost always gone on to become NBA legends.
Wembanyama’s displays of emotions aren’t celebrations; they come after he’s genuinely overwhelmed by major achievements. We’ll likely see it less in the future as he gets accustomed to winning Playoff series, but for his first-ever run, it has to feel wonderful.
