Hector Ledesma Articles - Page 11

Almost as legendary as his resume has been Gregg Popovich’s relationship with his best players. A father figure type for San Antonio Spurs icons Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the 75-year-old coach is old enough to be his current best player’s grandfather. Actually, given their 55-year difference, you may be able to add […]

It appears to be a mere formality. In fact, the better question appears to be, will Victor Wembanyama be the unanimous Rookie of the Year? Also a finalist for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, though nowhere near the favorite, the generational talent is expected to run away with the ROY award. We all […]

Call it the Victor Wembanyama effect. The NBA and the San Antonio Spurs officially announced that the team will play two regular season games in Paris, France next season. The Spurs will face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, January 23 and Saturday, January 25, 2025. It’ll mark the first time the NBA will play two […]

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has won five NBA championships. He’s the winningest coach in NBA history and led the Silver and Black to a league record 22 consecutive winning seasons. Yet, the Hall of Famer says this 22-60 season was among his “most satisfying.” “It would be less than genuine if I said […]

There were times during the season some wondered whether the San Antonio Spurs’ incumbent platers realized they had generational talent Victor Wembanyama on their team. But instances where the 7-foot-4 phenom wouldn’t touch the ball gave way to Wembanyama’s brilliance as his rookie campaign went on. Fans and analysts weren’t the only ones who noticed. […]

It has been 30 years since San Antonio Spurs Hall of Famer David Robinson scored 71 points in the 1993-1994 season finale. Three decades later, the Spurs again feature a 7-footer who put up some astronomical numbers of his own. Though Victor Wembanyama is naturally linked to Robinson and fellow San Antonio icon Tim Duncan, […]

It’s safe to say no returning San Antonio Spur entered last off-season with more intrigue than Jeremy Sochan. He earned a nod in the NBA’s Rising Stars Game and from the get go his defense made his Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich take note. His versatility through a raw, yet evident, skill set intrigued. […]

Athletes often say the greatest respect they earn comes from their peers. That then says a lot about San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. In yet another tell that the generational talent continues to live up to that description, the 7-foot-4 rookie topped two categories as decided by fellow NBA players: “Who’s the best defender?” […]

None of the postseason notoriety that Victor Wembanyama gets nowadays comes as a surprise. Not after a season that ranks among the best rookie years in NBA history. Given the hype and expectations that followed the San Antonio Spurs’ French big man into the league, perhaps his place as a finalist on awards lists shouldn’t […]

As San Antonio Spurs fans – and thanks to generational talent Victor Wembanyama, NBA observers at large – head into the off-season with tons of curiosity about what the Silver and Black will do, there are at least two things the franchise knows going forward. Victor Wembanyama is already their best player and is undoubtedly […]

Following an outstanding first season in the NBA, here comes the recognition. The league announced Sunday that San Antonio Spurs generational talent Victor Wembanyama is one of three finalists for both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards. Thing is, it’s not surprising news. Virtually a lock to win ROY, the […]

He’s only 24 years old and can count his years in the Alamo City on one hand. Yet, Keldon Johnson is the longest-tenured San Antonio Spur and the oldest member of what would be considered their core. He headed into this past season as the Spurs’ leading scorer. He heads into the offseason as a […]

While San Antonio Spurs super rookie Victor Wembanyama is a contender for NBA Defensive Player of the Year, there’s no doubt about who ranks as the team’s best perimeter defender. Jeremy Sochan always guarded the opponent’s best offensive threat from the wing. He often guarded more stout players down on the block. Routinely, he did […]

After missing just 21 combined games through his first two NBA seasons, San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell missed 14, including the last eight, this past season. The fourth-year guard played in only 38 of the possible 82 games in 2022-2023. A foot injury that the team labeled a “stress reaction to the right third […]

Victor Wembanyama was a must-watch phenomenon during his rookie campaign with the San Antonio Spurs. To finish out the year, the Spurs superstar spoke about a number of topics, from his defensive prowess, to what he learned most through an NBA rookie season that saw his team lose 60 of 82 games and other subjects […]

San Antonio Spurs big man Zach Collins is scheduled to have surgery on what the team calls a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The Spurs are expecting Collins to be fully recovered at the start of the 2024-25 season, per the team’s press release. The sixth-year pro, who’s been in the NBA for seven […]

When Cedi Osman joined the San Antonio Spurs via trade early last July, there was doubt as to whether he’d ever put on the Silver and Black. After all, the franchise acquired him at around the same time they dealt for fellow veterans Reggie Bullock and Cameron Payne. But while neither made it to opening […]

In meeting with the media for the last time in the 2023-2024 season, San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama reflected on a rookie season that exceeded everyone’s super high expectations, except his. Given all that he accomplished during his first taste of American basketball, ClutchPoints asked the generational talent what he took the most pride […]

The San Antonio Spurs won just 15 of their first 71 games this season. Thanks to a 123-95 victory vs. the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio won nearly half that many in their last eleven contests. While many point out that their 22-60 record costs them at a chance at the best odds to win the […]

For most of the season, it seemed as though the 2023-2024 campaign would go down as the worst in San Antonio Spurs history. Thanks in large part to a club record 18-game losing streak, the team won only five of its first 35 games. It was easily on pace to fall short of the 20 […]

According to Saturday’s San Antonio Spurs injury report, superstar Victor Wembanyama has played his last game of what’s been a spectacular rookie season. Listed as “out,” the update comes less than a day after after Gregg Popovich mused and his star player feared that Sunday’s regular-season finale would be a no-go for the generational talent. […]

It’ll come as a surprise to those who don’t follow the San Antonio Spurs closely, but the team has several good options as to which has been its “best” victory this season. Though they’ve won only 21 of 81 games, the Silver and and Black can boast triumphs over the third best team in the […]

The normally stoic and calm super rookie Victor Wembanyama received only his second NBA technical on Friday. Late in the first half of what turned into a 121-120 San Antonio Spurs upset, the generational talent appeared upset after Denver Nuggets big man Aaron Gordon knocked him to the floor. “There’s plenty of ways to react […]

For many, “funny” is not the word that comes to mind when describing San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. The winningest coach in NBA history has gained a reputation for his often sharp, almost always blunt answers and reactions to questions. But following Devonte’ Graham’s game-winner in Friday’s 121-120 victory vs. the defending champion […]

The San Antonio Spurs have won five of their last nine games — while shorthanded, including Wednesday’s blowout loss at the Oklahoma City Thunder without superstar Victor Wembanyama. It took the Spurs 30 games to win their first five games of the season. Hard to blame the Silver and Black for thinking they’re a different […]

After missing Wednesday’s game at Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder, it appears there’s a decent chance that San Antonio Spurs superstar rookie Victor Wembanyama may miss Friday’s game vs. Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. “We don’t have a plan yet. Just see how his ankle is and we’ll go from there,” Gregg […]

Thanks to a 102-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, a dubious losing streak for the San Antonio Spurs is finally over. It’s no wonder one of their players used the term “slap in the face,” and another said they “took it personally.” The Silver and Black lost 26 times to the Grizzlies in regular season […]

The fourth Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren NBA matchup of a rivalry that many think will define the next decade of the NBA may have to wait. Following Tuesday’s San Antonio Spurs 102-87 victory at the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Gregg Popovich insinuated Wemby may not play in Wednesday’s game against his fellow rookie standout. […]

Perhaps it symbolizes how odd it is that one of the most respected franchises in sports has lost more than a dozen in a row to an organization that’s never made the NBA Finals. The last time the San Antonio Spurs beat the Memphis Grizzles, it was on an opening day that took place in […]

Include Philadelphia 76ers forward and fellow Frenchman Nicolas Batum among NBA regulars who are not only impressed by San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama but are also sending warnings to future opponents. Following his team’s 133-126 double overtime victory at the Frost Bank Center, Batum shared what he’d just witnessed regarding the generational talent who […]

Already missing second-leading scorer Devin Vassell and two-time NBA Rising Star Jeremy Sochan for the remainder of the season, the San Antonio Spurs could be without another of their best players for this final week. Keldon Johnson left Sunday’s 133-126 double overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter and did not return. Gregg […]

It’s been as common this season as a San Antonio Spurs loss. A Victor Wembanyama stat line that has either never been witnessed before or hasn’t been seen in quite some time. With 33 points, 18 rebounds, 7 blocks, 6 assists, and five three-pointers in a 133-126 double overtime loss to the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia […]

The last time Victor Wembanyama faced Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, the 7-foot-4 Spurs rookie scored 33 points while making more than half the shots he took and hitting 2-of-5 from three-point range. Yet, nobody talked about how great he was that night. The reason? The NBA MVP scored 70 in a 133-123 Philly […]

As striking as he is physically and as noteworthy as his accomplishments have been this season, perhaps what has stood out just as much about San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama is his mindset. It was again on full display on Friday night. “For me, there’s no question. I’m not hearing this. It’s just […]

Veteran San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte’ Graham has reason for frustration. Four years ago, he averaged 18.2 points per game with the Charlotte Hornets. This season, he’s played in just 18 of 77 possible games for a San Antonio team that’s struggled as they begin to embark on their rebuild. Instead of sulking, the 29-year-old […]

The franchise’s generational talent, Victor Wembanyama, calls San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones a “blessing.” One of San Antonio’s key reserves simply says he likes playing with him. By any measure, Jones is among the favorite players on the team. By that same measure, he also blends in and gets lost in the shuffle of […]

Hall of Fame head coach Gregg Popovich used the terms, “really impressive,” “best,” and “joy” to describe the San Antonio Spurs performance on Tuesday night. It didn’t matter that those descriptive words came after a loss to the Denver Nuggets. Or maybe it did. “[The Spurs] didn’t worry about a call or a turnover or […]

Saddled with one of the NBA’s worst records, the San Antonio Spurs latest injury news does not affect any kind of playoff positioning. But it does affect another kind of positioning. With Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell out for the remaining two weeks of the season, a question centers on how these absences might have […]

So incredible are some of Victor Wembanyama’s nightly stat lines that they come with an air of inevitability. In leading the very shorthanded San Antonio Spurs, he was one block and two assists short of a quadruple-double in a close 110-105 loss at the defending champion Denver Nuggets. It’s not the first time in a […]