“I had a lot on my mind”
NBA prodigy turns up the heat in game two
Basketball talent Victor Wembanyama has had a lot of distractions in recent weeks. That’s probably why his entry into the NBA team failed. But now the 19-year-old is already improving significantly. He is betting that the uptrend will continue.
Top talent Victor Wembanyama has improved significantly in his second game of the NBA Summer League. In the 80-85 defeat of his San Antonio Spurs against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Frenchman had 27 points, twelve rebounds and three blocks in just under 27 minutes of play. He hit nine of his 14 throws from the field.
“It’s just about being comfortable with myself and my body,” Wembanyama said. “It’s normal to get better from game to game. I’ve had a lot on my plate with the draft and the game, that was to be expected .”
In his debut on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets (76:68), the 19-year-old had just had offensive problems and only hit two of 13 throws. In the end there were nine points, eight rebounds and a strong five blocks. Wembanyama then admitted that he still had to get used to the NBA’s style of play: “To be honest, I didn’t know what to do on the pitch tonight, but I’m trying to learn for the next few games. The most important thing is that I ready for the season.”
You have to “be patient with him,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said during the ESPN broadcast of the first game: “He’s extremely altruistic, a really good passer and he only cares about the team.”
More focus on basketball
Wembanyama is delighted that the hustle and bustle surrounding the youngster is slowly dying down and that it is now more about basketball. “For the past month, basketball hasn’t even been 50 percent of my schedule. I can’t take it. I know it’s a special moment in my career, but I’m glad it’s over,” he said. “I just want to play, work out, lift weights, because that’s my life.”
The NBA season starts on October 24th. In the Summer League, rookies and young professionals gain experience, after which the 30 teams go to the training camp before they play preparatory games with their entire squad. Wembanyama skips the World Cup in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines (25 August to 10 September).
