Victor Wembanyama did not have to wait too long to get his first win in the NBA, as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Houston Rockets 126-122 in overtime on Friday night. After the game, Wembanyama spoke about how he feels to get that first win.
“I really, really love winning. It’s what I love most in life,” Wembanyama said. “Of course, it felt great. But coming back in the locker room, (Gregg Popovich) acknowledged that it was my first-ever NBA win and it just made me proud… It’s just one win. We got a whole lot more to come, and a whole lot more tough games to come, so focus on the next one. But I’m still very proud.”
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Gregg Popovich acknowledging in the locker room that it was his first win, would certainly have been very special for the youngster. As for his play on the court, the 19-year-old Frenchman shone.
Wembanyama had 21 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 3 blocks in the contest. He hit the game-tying shot which sent it to overtime, and had many spectacular plays as well which blew your mind. With the win here, the Spurs improved to 1-1 and they’ll face the Los Angeles Clippers next.
Victor Wembanyama Explained Why He Got Yelled At By Gregg Popovich
While he was happy to get the win, it wasn’t all great for the teenager out there. Toward the end of the game, Popovich was seen furiously yelling at Wembanyama and the rookie explained why his head coach was angry at him (starts at 2:57 mark).
“I forgot one play that we added today actually,” Wembanyama said. “So, it’s a rookie mistake. 100% legitimate for him to yell at me in that moment and I apologized after the game.”
Popovich has mellowed down a fair bit since his early days, but he still isn’t one to go easy on his players. He is going to coach them hard and won’t tolerate mental mistakes like the one Wembanyama made. The Frenchman had made it clear from the start that he’d have no issues with his head coach being hard on him, and it’s great to see him just accepting he got it wrong and apologize for it right away.
Luka Doncic Heaped Praise On Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama had NBA stars raving about him before he even played a game in the league. The first one to finally get to face him would be Luka Doncic and while his Dallas Mavericks came away with the win, Doncic was left amazed by Wembanyama.
“He’s going to be amazing. He already is…The way he moves for 7-5, 7-6 is incredible. He moves like a point guard almost, so it’s pretty amazing…He’s going to have a great future and he’s going to be amazing to watch.”
As long as he stays healthy, there really doesn’t seem to be anything stopping Wembanyama from being one of the greats. He has a terrific work ethic, is willing to learn, and more importantly, is ridiculously talented.
As Doncic says, he moves remarkably well for a man that tall and as time goes by, his skills are only going to get more refined. Paul George went as far as to say Wembanyama is going to be unstoppable and it is going to be a blast for us as fans to see him in action.
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