cdn mobile

NBA: Wemby bulks up, eyes Spurs playoff return

By: Agence France Presse October 01,2024 - 03:05 PM

NBA: Wemby bulks up, eyes Spurs playoff return. In photo is Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs posing at San Antonio Spurs Media Day at the Victory Capital Performance Center on September 30, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.Photo by Ronald Cortes /Getty Images via AFP

Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs poses at San Antonio Spurs Media Day at the Victory Capital Performance Center on September 30, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.Photo by Ronald Cortes /Getty Images via AFP

SAN ANTONIO, United States — A bulked-up Victor Wembanyama said on Monday leading the San Antonio Spurs back to the playoffs is the “minimum objective” as he prepares for his second season in the NBA.

The French prodigy enjoyed a dazzling debut season last year, winning Rookie of the Year and more than living up to the hype which accompanied his arrival in the league.

But for all the 20-year-old’s talent, it was not enough to stop San Antonio from finishing near the foot of the Western Conference with a 22-60 record, extending the Spurs’ five-year absence from the postseason.

READ MORE:

NBA star Stephen Curry: Harris election win will unite country

NBA: LeBron James ‘given life’ by playing with son, Olympic gold

NBA: Doncic, Irving talking Mavericks title with Klay Thompson

Speaking at San Antonio’s media day in Texas, Wembanyama said he is targeting a big improvement in the team’s fortunes this season despite the likelihood of being a marked man after his debut campaign.

“One of the things we talked about with the coach is that I won’t have a second, third, fourth chance in a game anymore,” Wembanyama said.

“If we want to win now, I have to be a leader by example first.

“There will be no more room for those mistakes. There’s a lot of mental work to do. We’re going to encounter new difficulties this year.

“We want to put ourselves in that position of being a winning team, a play-off team. It’s a culture that has to be established.

“Bad habits are easier to adopt than good ones. Reaching the play-offs or the play-offs is the minimum objective.”

Despite his relative youth — Wembanyama will only turn 21 in January — the Frenchman said he is relishing the responsibility of being one of the team’s leaders.

“I’m used to leading by example, in the locker room and at both ends of the court,” Wembanyama said.

“Both tactically and in the team spirit, I want to be, for example, the base of the defense, and also a little in attack.

“If I’m up to my standards and I help the team in the right way, I’ll have a leading role in attack and defense. It’s something that should happen naturally.”

Wembanyama, who spearheaded France’s run to the Olympic basketball final in August, where they were beaten in the gold medal match by the star-studded USA team, has put on significant muscle as part of his preparations for the season.

The Spurs have listed him as weighing in at 235 pounds (106kg) in team statistics, compared to 210 pounds (95kg) when he first entered the league last year.

Wembanyama, whose weight increased steadily over the course of last season, said his physical transformation had been gradual.

“It’s important  to work in a way that’s good for your body and respect the body’s identity, I would say,” Wembanyama said.

“We really put an emphasis on getting strength and core strength, but not gaining weight necessarily. But weight will come with strength. So it’s just a result of the good work we we’ve done all summer.

“I’m really satisfied with the with the summer we just had here.”

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Read Next

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.

TAGS:
No tags found for this post.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.