Baritone voice, already well-established American accent and very sharp body. For his return in front of the cameras on Monday, after a summer spent in the shadows preparing for his first NBA season, Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, new star of the San Antonio Spurs, swept away his news and displayed his ambitions three weeks before the resumption of the championship. According to our colleagues at The Teamaround sixty journalists made the trip to the Texan training center, “unheard of” according to a regular at the exercise.
In English that is not far from perfect, the number 1 of the last draft detailed his last weeks of work, based primarily on cardio (“because we always need it in an 82-game season”) and grip. of muscle. “I’ve gained between 4 and 7 kg, but I don’t want to add too much mass too quickly. We are on the right path. My preparation and my physical condition have never been as good as today, I am in the best shape of my life,” explained the former Metropolitans 92.
If, for his part, Gregg Popovich tried not to do (and say) too much about the Frenchman, who crystallizes all the hopes of a franchise and a city, Wembanyama explained that he couldn’t wait to see the maestro in action when the NBA season begins in earnest.
Travel to OKC next Monday
After the draft and the Summer League in Las Vegas at the beginning of July, “Wemby” took two weeks of vacation before returning to prepare for the season, between San Antonio and Dallas where he was coached by former Spurs player Melvin Sanders, skipping the World Cup with the Blues at the end of summer. “I learned more about my body in three months here than in the last five years,” he explained at a press conference.
Once the media day ended, Victor Wembanyama made a few outings in public, during a bar crawl on September 24, cowboy hat on his head. He took the opportunity to return to the enthusiasm of an entire city about him. “They treat me like family, I’m so grateful. » They are now looking forward to seeing their new hope in action. It will be Monday, with the Spurs’ first trip to Oklahoma City for a pre-season match.