Victor Wembanayma faced a familiar refrain as he met with reporters during the San Antonio Spurs Media Day: expectations.

They've followed Wemby around for as long as he can remember. And they've only grown as his game has. Coming off a unanimous Rookie of the Year campaign with the Spurs, he's exceeded impossible individual hype given that the then 19-year-old was the game's most highly touted prospect since LeBron James.

Heading into a second year in the NBA, the expectations have grown to stratospheric levels. So much so that the consensus seems to be that it's not a matter of if the French phenom will become the game's best player, but, instead, when.

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama opens up about expectations

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) answers questions from the media during Media day at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio
© Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

During Media Day, ClutchPoints, in noting what many around the game have said this off-season, asked the Spurs star center about handling expectations as well as setting his own.

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“These expectations, I just manage them like I have for years. I just focus on my actual responsibilities because I don't have any responsibility to any of you,” Wembanyama told the dozens of reporters covering the unofficial start of the season.

“I just focus on the guys in the locker room, that's it.”

From the moment he arrived in San Antonio, Wembanyama has been a focus for the basketball world. As if one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history wasn't enough, the 7-foot-5 phenom led his native France to the gold medal game of the Olympics this summer, where he led a competitive battle against a U.S. squad led by LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.

“Yeah, of course, I'm glad my abilities are being recognized,” Wemby said of league wide chatter that he's well on his way to becoming one of the very best player in the game – and soon.

“I know eventually I'm going to be in those conversations,” Wembanyama answered, alluding to our question, which suggested that many feel he could rise to the top as soon as this season.

“As always, my emphasis is going to be on winning and making my teammates better as much as I can.”

Ultimately, though, as Wemby continues to climb to rare heights, it's not unfamiliar territory. The runner up in last year's Defensive player of the Year race is simply looking for more.

“It's no different than previous years, it's just that last year, our expectations for ourselves was to learn to know ourselves. Toward the end of the year, we really showed that this year we expect to win.”