SAN ANTONIO - Mitch Johnson may have had more to say on Day 3 of Spurs training camp, but Victor Wembanyama was the headliner waiting in the wings.
When the 7-foot star finally stepped to the microphone, he spent 11 minutes covering a lot of ground in English: family visits, the bond inside the Spurs, his view of sports betting, the grind of playoff-style physicality and even what life in America has meant to him.
One of the more personal moments came when Wembanyama talked about two people making the trip to San Antonio to see him and the organization.
“They were willing to make the trip. They were also curious about what I wanted to show them.
It matters because these people matter to me. This place matters to me.
Having the two of them together kind of the same as when family comes to visit here.”
He also said the visit gave one of them a chance to experience more of the world.
“He's got to see the Eiffel Tower. He's got to see, different culture.
I don't think Carter has been out of the U.S. before. I'm not sure.
I think he got a pretty good first experience.”
Wembanyama was equally reflective when asked about Mitch Johnson, a coach he has seen rise quickly.
“I've got good memories of those days. I miss it sometimes.
I still get to see him every day, but he's not as much in the trenches with us. Those were good days.
"I think it's been such a quick growth for him (becoming a head coach). Unexpected too, at first.
Or somewhat unexpected. But he's adapted so well.
Those days are dear to me, but I wouldn't change what we have right now for anything. Absolutely not.”
On the basketball side, Wembanyama said the Spurs are better positioned now because of how much the group has already been through together.
“It does. We know each other so much better now.
We know what works and what doesn't work, and we don't (have) as much time as we used to ... to try and do things that aren't going to be sustainable. Mistakes, we get rid of them much more.
Much quicker, too.
He also said the team is embracing the kind of work that comes with playing the league’s most physical opponents.
“I think it's something you have to go through. I'm glad we went through probably the most physical teams. In the West for sure ... probably three of the most physical teams.
“We got to get our brains used to doing those hard things. Playing physical, it's a bit of technique and of learning.
But it's mostly effort and mostly going through uncomfortable things. There's just one way to beat that: to do it.
So, I'm glad we faced those.”
Wembanyama also pushed for a more serious scouting approach during the regular season, saying he has wanted it for more than a year.
“For more than one season now, I've pushed for us to do this more, even in the regular season. I find that I've been pretty good at learning something and then forgetting it in the next game ... there's no reason it should be so different in the regular season and in the playoffs.
“In the games that ask for it the most in the regular season, we should work on deep scouting reports. I don't mind.
I'll forget it the day after the game. I can learn it and forget it quick.”
He was also blunt about criticism and hate, saying it stays mostly online.
“Oh yeah, of course, here and there. But think we overestimate.
Even if you see people criticizing or hating, it's not like they would kill me. I don't take it like that.
"So no, not in real life. It's mostly on the internet.”
Wembanyama closed with a thought on the WNBA, saying watching those players has left an impression on him.
“It was inspiring to see how much of themselves they give. I remember watching the first day.
I was practicing, at first with the reserve team, and then we saw the first team play. They get hurt all the time.
I'm talking to the head coach, and one of them gets hurt on the floor ... the head coach tells me that they need to take great care of their players.
“They cherish them because they're already going to get hurt all year. Every single game they're going to get hurt.
It's already their job. They don't need to get hurt now.”
He also made a clear statement on sports betting. Asked whether he would ever sign a brand deal with a sports betting company, he answered:
“Absolutely not. I would never.” Asked what he thinks about other professional athletes doing so: “It’s very sad to see.”
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