“Gregg Popovich Wants to Take Care of Me!”: 7ft 5″ Victor Wembanyama Is ‘Pleasantly Surprised’ After First Week at the Spurs

Victor Wembanyama, the hottest draft prospect in the class of 2023, was picked 1st overall by the San Antonio Spurs. He is expected to surpass even LeBron James. As the newly drafted French prodigy starts at the rookie camp, he holds a positive opinion of Spurs’ head coach, Gregg Popovich. Wemby has been training diligently for the upcoming Summer League and is impressed with Coach Popovich’s work ethic. In his first impression, he assumes that Gregg Popovich wants to care about their new 7’5″ addition and help him reach his true potential.

Furthermore, Wembanyama recently had dinner with Spurs legends Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, and Sean Elliot. After meeting his role models, Wemby revealed he learned more about the league in 2 hours than in his whole life. The Spurs legends might have warned the rookie of Coach Pop’s harshness and expectations for perfection. Perhaps the Spurs veterans are trying to make Wemby feel at home, considering the organization and fans treat him well.

Victor Wembanyama is quite pleased to meet Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich is the longest-tenured active coach in the NBA. A legendary figure in the San Antonio Spurs, he holds the record for the most wins. He has been named NBA Coach of the Year three times and has led the Spurs to five NBA title victories.

Meeting a highly successful figure like Popovich can be nerve-wracking for any rookie in the league, and Wemby was no exception. However, he later shared that his initial impression of Coach Pop was positive and enjoyable. During the Rookie Camp, Wembanyama spoke to reporters about his firsthand experience with the Spurs’ head coach. The interview clip was uploaded by KENS 5.

“He works out more than I thought. You know, every morning he’s there, running on a treadmill, lifting weights. He communicates a lot with me and he doesn’t want me to make… you know he wants to take care of me and he wants me to avoid making some mistakes and it’s really pleasant. I thought I would experience the yelling a bit earlier. I haven’t yet, but I’m ready.” 

Victor Wembanyama has diligently prepared for this moment and is eager to showcase his skills. In order to focus on a healthy start to the season, he made the decision to withdraw from the French FIBA World Cup roster. With the draft behind him, he is now poised to make his appearance in the Summer League.

Wembanyama will soon play in the Summer League

Fans expected to see Wemby make his debut in Spurs’ colors at the California Classic Summer League. However, it appears that he will instead be making his debut in the NBA 2K24 Summer League. In his first game for the Spurs, Wembanyama will face the Charlotte Hornets. This will be followed by a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

As of now, Coach Popovich has not determined the extent of Wembanyama’s playing time in the Summer League. Wemby had already completed a full season in France. He then dedicated the week leading up to the draft to practicing for the NBA. He made the decision to sacrifice his spot on the French FIBA World Cup roster in order to prioritize his NBA aspirations.