As he gears up for his second season in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama is getting more comfortable off the court. In his latest interview with Ashley Nicole Moss on CBS Sports, Ashley asked him about his perception as a humble player. She questioned the Frenchman on how he balances his killer mentality with his grounded demeanor.
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She also brought up the 20-year-old’s comments on his Olympic teammate, Rudy Gobert, as an example of Wembanyama’s competitive spirit.
In March of this year, before the Defensive Player of the Year was crowned, Wemby was pitted against fellow 7-foot Frenchman Gobert as the top contender for the award. When asked about Gobert’s chances of winning the DPOY, Victor stated,
“It would be deserved, but let him earn it now because afterward it won’t be his turn.”
Wemby had remained largely soft-spoken during his rookie campaign and this was one of the first tastes we got of the Alien’s tenacity. During their recent interview, Ashley asked the DPOY runner-up about those two sides of his personality.
“I don’t feel in my place when I’m not in that killer instinct mode, and when I’m not, you know, when I’m not number one. I think more and more, I’ve learned to let my real personality speak.“
This ‘real personality’ also peeked through after Team France fell to Team USA in the 2024 Olympics’ gold medal game. Despite tallying a game-high 26 points, Wemby had to taste defeat on the biggest stage. And like the greats often do, he seems to have taken it as added motivation.
“I’m learning, and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple of years – everywhere,” the Frenchman commented after the Olympic loss. It’s incredible that Wemby is not only competing for major accolades as a rookie, but he is also putting the league on notice that he intends to win. Earlier this week, Victor was equally brash when speaking about the upcoming season.
Wembanyama knows where his responsibilities are
For a Frenchman in Texas, Wembanyama has quickly acclimatized to his stardom in the league. The humble, young center we saw last season might have been a result of his transition to the NBA and America. But now, with growing confidence, the Alien is no longer holding back. Wemby was at the Spurs’ media day when he was asked about his expectations for the upcoming NBA season.
“These expectations, I just manage like I’ve managed all the others for years. I just focus on my actual responsibilities because I don’t have any responsibility to any of you [media]. Just the guys that are in the locker room, the training room, that’s it…As always, my emphasis is always going to be on winning.“
With the addition of Point God Chris Paul, many expect Wemby’s second season to take a massive leap. We’ll find out soon enough with the Spurs’ pre-season beginning next week against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
