2023-11-24 19:00:07
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, during the NBA game against the Los Angeles Clippers, November 22, 2023. DARREN ABATE / AP
He did not appear in front of the microphones and cameras, avoiding American and French journalists… On the evening of the 9th defeat in a row for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA regular season, on November 20, Victor Wembanyama remained silent , in the dark. Number 1 in the last draft – the scholarship for players not yet belonging to the North American Basketball League – the 19-year-old from Ile-de-France is eagerly awaited both on and off the NBA floor. Since the start of the championship, “Wemby” had always systematically presented himself at a press conference. Until this unprecedented dispensation.
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During the night from Friday to Saturday, at 4 a.m. (Paris time), against the Golden State Warriors led by Stephen Curry, the Spurs will try to put an end to their black streak. “It’s difficult to go through a series of defeats, but even more so for [Wembanyama] »notes the coach of the French team, Vincent Collet, who coached him last season at the Metropolitans 92 in Boulogne-Levallois. This can only increase his motivation, because he is not going to accept this situation. I know him and I know he will work even harder to bring his team to victory. »
Like other French athletes, such as the swimmer Léon Marchand or the footballer Kylian Mbappé, Wemby can boast of exceptional talent and a keen competitive spirit. “The way I like to play is when we winexplained the MVP (most valuable playerbest player), of the last French championship, on November 22, after a new setback for his club, its 10th in a row, against the Los Angeles Clippers. Losses are all I know for the moment in the NBA. But before I was drafted, I knew there would be challenges. The important thing is how you approach them. I don’t yet have the hindsight to draw conclusions, but for now it’s okay, we’re keeping our heads high. »
Dazzling against Phoenix
Weaned from victories for more than two weeks, the Spurs already seem to have given up on their season, preferring to use this year to prepare the “Wembanyama project” and build around it. The fans have also already abandoned their dream, as unrealistic as it may be, of a return to the NBA finals after four years of eating their black bread. Losing today to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy tomorrow is almost a must in the career of the number one in the draft. Only Magic Johnson, with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980, had won the championship ring in his first season in the big league.
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