San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has witnessed a clutch player or two over his Hall of Fame career. His superstar rookie Victor Wembanyama may not yet have the moments to match some of the greats Popovich either has coached or gone against, but the generational prospect fits the mold.
“He's not afraid to put himself out there. He'll take shots. He's not worried about if he misses it, what the consequences are or anything like that,” the longest-tenured coach in the NBA said following Wemby's performance in a 132-118 win against Oklahoma City.
“He likes those moments.”
Victor Wembayama on delivering when it matters for Spurs
In addressing the mental aspect of delivering down the stretch of close games, Wembanyama invoked one of those great clutch players Pop schemed against for so many Spurs/Los Angles Lakers battles.
“It's a lot of mental. Kobe [Bryant] said to win the game, he mostly takes the big shots because they don't call as many fouls because it's not as much the physical better, even though on defense, it's 90 percent effort. Offensively, it's a lot of mental,” the top overall pick of this past summer's draft said.
To reach the likes of Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, as well as some of the clutch players Popovich not only competed against but coached, like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, Wemby knows a common thread links all of the game's legends.
“I would say it's a requisite for any player who wants to be great but also coming into the league where most players have been through a lot of challenges,” the 20-year-old phenom said of wanting the ball at crucial times.
“I've been through a lot of challenges in my life and in my basketball life. It's something you have to live with. It is what it is. You want to be great or you don't.”
Because his best player carries that kind of attitude, Popovich kept it simple when asked how much of his “genius” went into Wembanyama hitting two key three-pointers and blocking a Chet Holmgren shot to turn the tide in Thursday's win against OKC.
“There's no genius involved if I'm involved in it. They worked. Let's just say that.”
Devin Vassell gushes over Wemby
“Kid is special, man.”
The Spurs' second-leading scorer, Devin Vassell, is often complimentary of his 7-foot-4 teammate.
“A pivotal moment, Victor shoots a crazy three, and I'm looking at him like there's no way he shot that, then it goes down. It’s just like, ‘Nah this kid is special,’ Vassell repeated in describing Wembanyama's final moments Thursday night. “Big block on Chet.”
The fourth-year Spur went a step further regarding Wemby and Holmgren.
‘I feel like it's been over,” Vassell said of the Rookie of the Year race. “Night in, night out, the stuff that he does, the impact that he has on both ends of the floor. Big shot after big block after whatever the case may be.
“He doesn't even act like a rookie. The shots that he shoots, the confidence that he has in his game is second to none.”
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