Author of a performance more in line with his status last night in the Summer League, Victor Wembanyama has rebounded well following a complicated start against the Hornets. But after his match against Portland, he admitted that the enormous media enthusiasm that accompanied the Draft and his arrival in the United States had weighed a lot in recent weeks.
We saw him at Rucker Park drop a few shots with Bilal Coulibaly, then at Yankee Stadium to launch the first pitch. We saw him make media appearances all over the place, before and after the infamous Draft night where he was selected number 1. We saw him being welcomed like a rock star in San Antonio from the second when he set foot in Texas, and the cameras kept following him to Las Vegas for his big debut with the Spurs in the Summer League. There was even a controversy between his bodyguard and Britney Spears…
Over the past three or four weeks, Wembamania has taken on an even greater dimension on the other side of the Atlantic. So much so that basketball has taken a back seat to all of this.
“This month, basketball wasn’t even 50% of my time. I can’t stand this,” Wemby said. at a press conference yesterday. “I know this is a special time in my life, but I’m glad it’s all over. I just want to play basketball, work out, work out, because that’s my life. Of course, every first draft pick has to go through this, but it makes me better for the future.”
All the first choices go through this? To some extent no doubt, but very few are followed by hype as crazy as Wemby. Since LeBron James in 2003, no prospect had raised as much expectation and excitement as Victor, who is now very happy to have gone through all these stages to be able to release the pressure a little during the rest of the season. summer.
“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50% of my schedule. I can’t stand it. I know it’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over. I just wanna hoop.”
Victor Wembanyama on the media tour and being able to focus on basketball now.
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/E782jt5TFp
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 10, 2023
But precisely, the rest of the summer, what will it look like for Victor Wembanyama? Will he play a little more in the Summer League? And once the summer league is over, what will be the next steps?
“I need to talk to Pop [Gregg Popovich, entraîneur des Spurs, ndlr.], listen to what he has to say to me, but I am ready to make any sacrifice for the team, and give myself 100%. I need to see with Spurs what the next few months will look like, when to go on vacation, when to come back to train, where I will train, if it’s in San Antonio or somewhere else.
– Victor Wembanyama
Nothing really seems definite yet in Wemby’s words, but one thing is certain: Victor needs a breather after these last very intense weeks following a long season with the Mets 92. And that’s partly why that he preferred to skip the Basketball World Cup with the Blues this summer. The real goal for Wembanyama will be to arrive with the batteries recharged in the fall – mentally as well as physically – to be ready to do battle in the NBA.
“As I’m not playing the World Cup, I know I have 2-3 good months coming up, and it’s going to change my life. I will probably disappear from the media in the next month, honestly.”
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Text source: post-match press conference
Victor Wembanyama planned to “disappear from the media for the next month”, he says with a smile, relieved after a crazy month.
He says he plans to speak with Spurs, see what their schedule will be, their holidays and make “every sacrifice necessary” for the franchise.
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) July 10, 2023
2023-07-10 17:58:00
#Victor #Wembanyama #break #media
