Steve Kerr recently made an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show and had a 17-minute conversation with host Suzy Shuster regarding multiple topics. At one point in the interview, the two had an in-depth discussion about Victor Wembanyama and how the rookie was recently caught in a poster by the Golden State Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis. Among a few other things, Kerr also hilariously spoke about Wembanyama’s mother’s difficulties in raising him and his younger brother.
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Initially, Steve Kerr claimed that he’d spoken to Gregg Popovich about Victor Wembanyama. Revealing some details of his conversation with Coach Pop, Kerr stated that the latter absolutely loved the 20-year-old and projected him to be a great player.
“We’re great friends, he (Popovich) remains a mentor to me. I did ask him about Wembanyama and he just loves him, thinks he’s really coming along and he thinks he’s going to be a great, great player,” Kerr said.
Soon after, Shuster asked Kerr to speak about the impressive dunk that Trayce Jackson-Davis recently pulled off, putting the 7ft 4” Frenchman in a poster. Reacting to the play from the 11th March Warriors-Spurs clash, the 58-year-old was simply amazed. Calling TJD’s dunk “one of the plays of the year”, Kerr was baffled how the 6ft 9” youngster managed to dunk it over Wemby.
“There’s never been anyone like him [Wembanyama], with that size and that skill,” Kerr told Shuster. “The dunk by Trayce the other night was just one of the plays of the year. I don’t know how Trayce got it over the top of Victor, I didn’t know it was humanly possible.”
Wembanyama has been one of the best defensive players in the league, averaging 3.4 blocks per game, as per ESPN. Having an estimated 8-foot wingspan, players are afraid to even attempt shots over the European sensation. Trayce Jackson-Davis, despite being seven inches shorter, has managed to become the first player to put Wembanyama on a poster. As Kerr rightly mentioned, Jackson-Davis’ dunk has to be one of the highlight plays of this season.
After marveling over Wemby’s size and skill, Shuster also shed light on the fact that the frontrunner for the 2024 Rookie of the Year award also had a younger brother, Oscar Wembanyama, who is expected to be taller than Victor. Reacting to the same, Steve Kerr highlighted the difficulties that their mother must be facing in raising them.
“How about being mom and having to feed those guys, that wouldn’t be easy,” Kerr jokingly said.
Raising one child with the physicality of Victor Wembanyama would be a huge task. However, having to raise two such children might be even more difficult. But, it is great to see how Victor is treating his parents now that he’s made a name for himself in the league.
Victor Wembanyama plans to get his parents to retire early
Victor Wembanyama has been grateful for all the love and support he’s received from his parents – Felix Wembanyama and Elodie de Fautereau. As reported by People, Victor told GMA how his parents made a lot of sacrifices for him. As a result, Wemby will now be able to get his parents to retire early.
“They really didn’t interfere with my sport. They let me be how I wanted to be. They made a lot of sacrifices. On the other hand, they’re gonna be able to retire early,” Wemby said.
With the virtue of being the #1 pick of the 2023 draft, the Frenchman was awarded a four-year, $55 million contract, as per Spotrac. Being the highest-paid rookie ever, the 20-year-old can certainly afford to retire both his parents.
Further, the center has also lived up to the expectations set for him. While the San Antonio Spurs have had a forgettable season, Wemby has been putting up a historic individual campaign – 20.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game, as per NBA.com.
