San Antonio Spurs’ new star Victor Wembanyama recently sat down with the press on Day 2 of the franchise’s training camp. Still getting used to life under the legendary Gregg Popovich, Wemby was obviously asked a range of questions about his experience under the head coach. The 19-year-old prodigy had a heartwarming response and revealed that Popovich had ways to punish players when they did something wrong in training.
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The revelation comes around 96 days after Wemby was picked by the Spurs HC as the number 1 pick of the 2023 draft. The clip was initially posted on X (formerly Twitter) by journalist Josh Paredes.
The rookie had initially not been yelled at even once by Popovich. However, he revealed that the entire team was often asked to run full court whenever somebody messed up. Things, however, changed recently and Wemby was left glad after being yelled at by his new coach.
Victor Wembanyama reveals he finally got yelled at by Gregg Popovich
Popovich is famous for his disciplinary measures and structure that are apparent in the entire organization. Still, Wembanyama revealed that he had for the longest of time escaped being yelled at by the 5-time NBA champion.
This was despite him being punished alongside the entire team whenever someone did something wrong in training. Regardless, Wemby claimed that he was glad after he was finally yelled at:
“I am not gonna name anybody but if you screw up at one point the coach told you specifically not to or to do, it’s everybody on the line, running the full court, or something else, depends on the mood of the coach. Yeah, it came later than I expected but yeah, finally. I’m glad he yelled at me.”
Media: “Has Pop yelled at you yet?”
Victor: “Yeah, it came later than I expected but yeah, finally. I’m glad he yelled at me.” pic.twitter.com/uTU4IxceQF— Josh Paredes (@Josh810) October 4, 2023
Still only 19, it is obvious that the potential superstar does not want any special treatment from the coach. The interview comes after Wemby had initially claimed to be pleasantly surprised by Popovich’s apparent soft treatment of him.
He seems to have realized that it was because he was a youngster and the kind of expectations that have been placed right from day one. Still, Popovich seems to have finally let go of the initial pleasantries, something Victor will be well aware is for the good of his game, and the team.
Victor Wembanyama suggests softer treatment from Gregg Popovich is finally over
Popovich understandably was well aware of the kind of pressure that Wembanyama has had to deal with. That can easily have a negative impact on youngsters.
However, the 2023 number 1 draft pick appears to be built right and actually wants the coach to yell at him when he makes mistakes. This comes after a range of former stars and analysts have already expressed worry over the pressure that Wemby might be dealing with.
This includes Tony Parker, who was especially concerned with the comparisons to the likes of LeBron James, Tim Duncan, and Michael Jordan. While Wemby’s unique skills mean that comparisons to the GOATs might prove inevitable, he seems to have just the right mindset in order to succeed on the biggest stage.
