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No one in the NBA has been put under a microscope for the past several weeks quite as much as San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, described as the greatest prospect in team sports, has had endless media obligations in the moments leading up to and following his selection by the Spurs.
According to Wembanyama, basketball “wasn’t even 50 percent” of his schedule for the past month. He said that although he knew it was a special moment in his life, he couldn’t stand it and he’s glad it’s over so he can just focus on the task at hand: Basketball.
Wembanyama, who has played two games in NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas, recently provided a refreshingly honest assessment of his first game on the court in an NBA uniform. He added that he just wants to “hoop” and work out and lift weights.
Victor Wembanyama says he’s ready to put in all of the sacrifices for the @spurs. He’s going to get with the Spurs org. on planning his vacations, workouts, etc. and plans to disappear for the media for a month after the whirlwind of the past few weeks.@LVSportsNetwork #PorVida pic.twitter.com/ohN3uFLLjj
— Carolina ‘CT’ Teague (@carolinateague_) July 10, 2023
He was asked what his subsequent few months are going to look like once he is done playing in Las Vegas. Here is what he said:
“I gotta talk to Pop and really listen to what he’s going to say. I’m willing to make any sacrifice for the team and give one hundred percent. I need to sit down with the Spurs, too, to know what the next months are going to be like: When to go on vacation? When to start back working out? Where I’m going to practice? San Antonio or somewhere else? As I’m not playing in the World Cup, we’ve got two or three great months that are coming and they’re going to change my life. I’m probably going to disappear from the media for the next month, honestly.”
Remember: No one (aside from his former teammate Bilal Coulibaly) in this rookie class was playing basketball more recently than Wembanyama. Don’t forget he wasn’t even able to make the NBA Draft Combine because his team was competing in the top-tier French championships.
So good for Wemby. Let’s let the man enjoy some vacation and get some rest.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
The Jazz pulled off a massive troll of the 76ers in the signed offer sheet for restricted free agent Paul Reed. They essentially worked a clause in the deal where Philadelphia will have to guarantee Reed’s contract if the Sixers win at least one round in the playoffs. Here is more:
“Especially if Harden comes back or if the 76ers manage to trade for Damian Lillard, it is fairly likely that Philadelphia at least manages to make it out of the first round of the postseason in the Eastern Conference.
In that case, per Utah’s offer sheet, Philadelphia would then have to guarantee the remaining two years of Reed’s contract.
This is a clause that likely wouldn’t have impacted the Jazz, a team not likely to make it past the first round of the playoffs as they continue to rebuild after trading Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.
So effectively, this was just a move to make the decision more complicated for the front office in Philadelphia. The reason for this dates back more than a full decade.”
That’s some effective trolling from Utah’s Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik.
Shootaround
— Jabari Smith Jr. appears to say ‘he can’t guard me at all‘ after lighting up James Wiseman
— LeBron James was so fired up after coaching his son, Bryce, to a huge comeback victory at Peach Jam
— Damian Lillard had a simple 2-word response to all the Heat trade rumors
— Patty Mills has somehow been traded between 4 teams in the last two weeks
