Victor Wembanyama isn’t just adjusting to the NBA grind - he’s doing it while absorbing nightly punishment from defenders who’d rather turn the game into a wrestling match than a basketball showcase. And after the Spurs' 112-103 win over the Orlando Magic, the 7-foot-5 rookie made it clear: he’s not here for the extracurriculars.
“I know they do that because they don't want to play the game. They don't want to play a basketball game,” Wembanyama said, referring to the physical treatment he received - particularly from Desmond Bane in the fourth quarter.
Now, Bane wasn’t just playing tight defense. He was hit with a flagrant foul after lowering his shoulder into Wemby as the Spurs’ big man was making his way up the floor. It was a play that epitomized the kind of contact Wembanyama is seeing more and more as teams try to throw him off rhythm.
“I don't think I was frustrated,” he added, staying composed. “Our job on offense is to make it a basketball game, so that's how we're going to beat them.”
That mindset - stay focused, play through the contact, and stick to basketball - helped Wembanyama lead the Spurs with 25 points in the win, their 33rd of the season. It was another reminder that no matter how opponents try to rough him up, he’s still finding ways to impact the game at a high level.
The strategy to get physical with Wemby isn’t new. It’s quickly become the go-to blueprint for slowing down the Spurs’ franchise cornerstone.
Phoenix, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, New Orleans - they’ve all tried it. And in each case, they’ve managed to beat San Antonio at least once this season by crowding him, bumping him off his spots, and making every touch a battle.
And when you look at Wembanyama’s build - towering at 7-foot-5 but still under 250 pounds - the physical toll is no small thing. He’s already dealt with a string of injuries this season.
After missing a large chunk of last year due to blood clots in his right shoulder, Wemby entered this game listed as questionable with soreness in his left calf - the same leg that kept him sidelined for a month earlier in the season. Add in a recent hyperextended knee, and it’s clear the wear and tear is real.
But when asked if the calf soreness was tied to previous injuries, Wemby didn’t bite.
“What injury?” he said, cutting off the question.
When the reporter clarified it was about the calf, Wembanyama offered a measured response: “I don't know. I don't know that it's related to my injury before.
Out of caution, it's almost like we're going to consider that it's related.”
That cautious approach makes sense - especially considering the day the Spurs had. The team started their morning in Charlotte, took a detour to Atlanta, and didn’t land back in San Antonio until just hours before their 8:00 p.m. tip-off. Wemby summed it up bluntly.
“Knowing all the special conditions, it's been a long-ass day,” he said. “I mean, we've been awake since, like, 6:00-something am Charlotte time.
"They do that because they don't want to play a basketball game.
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) February 2, 2026
Our job on offense is to make it a basketball game. That's how we're going to beat them..."⬇️
-Wemby to @RealTomPetrini on Desmond Bane's physicality in W v Orl. Bane, a flagrant for elbow at Vic late in 3rd#Spurs pic.twitter.com/7Q1lQGXE4f
It's close to midnight now. So yeah, a lot of caution in that report.”
Caution may be the Spurs’ approach to managing their star’s health. But for opposing defenders?
Not so much. Every night, Wembanyama is getting hit, hacked, and harassed - and still, he’s showing up and producing.
That’s the kind of resilience you want in a franchise player. And if this is how he’s handling the grind now, just imagine what he’ll look like once he’s got a few more seasons under his belt - and a few more pounds of muscle to go with it.