Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Spur Victor Wembanyama solutions questions from the press at Saturday’s ceremony.
San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama is formally an alien.
If his intergalactic play this season didn’t have you ever believing he was from one other planet, Wembanyama, the NBA 2023-24 Rookie of the Yr (ROTY), accepted the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy on Saturday afternoon at San Antonio Faculty’s Scobee Schooling Heart & Planetarium.
That’s one small step for Wemby, one large leap for the way forward for the NBA.
“This is among the representations of our development all year long and the efforts all of us made on the court docket,” Wembanyama, 20, stated throughout a press convention. “It is a good feeling for me and a very good illustration of the love that we discovered all through the entire yr.”
Wembanyama grew to become the third Spurs participant to assert rookie honors, following David Robinson (1989-90) and Tim Duncan (1997-98). He additionally grew to become solely the sixth unanimous winner of the ROTY award in NBA historical past.
Earlier than the press convention, Wembanyama interacted with space children who have been invited to the occasion. They joined the 7-foot-4 participant contained in the planetarium’s screening room the place he delivered a presentation to them about darkish matter.
Kiko Martinez
San Antonio children commerce very excessive fives with Wemby at Saturday’s gathering.
In line with NASA, darkish matter is a mysterious substance that impacts and shapes the cosmos, and it is one thing scientists are nonetheless making an attempt to determine. If Spurs legend Tim Duncan went full geek for Dungeons & Dragons and Renaissance festivals, it seems to be like Wembanyama is a nerd for astronomy.
Wembanyama has no plans to go to area anytime quickly, nevertheless. He stated this summer season he’ll get a few weeks to loosen up earlier than he’s again on the court docket on the point of symbolize France on the 2024 Summer season Olympics. Then, it will likely be time to start out his second yr within the NBA in October.
“This summer season is particular as a result of it is fairly busy,” he stated.
When the ROTY announcement was made earlier this week on Contained in the NBA on TNT, analyst and Corridor of Famer Charles Barkley stated Wembanyama was “in a terrific state of affairs with Coach [Gregg] Popovich” as a result of Pop would “educate him play basketball the appropriate approach.”
The Present requested Wembanyama what enjoying the “proper approach” meant to him throughout his rookie season.
“There’s a distinction between us, the Spurs, and the best way we play, and 90 % of the groups within the league,” he stated. “I really feel like we contain all of the gamers on the court docket. Now we have this can to share the ball. I am glad that is one thing the Spurs have been [doing] for years. If there’s one one who can educate you basketball [the right way], it’s Pop.”
Subscribe to SA Present newsletters.
Observe us: Apple Information | Google Information | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Fb | Twitter| Or join our RSS Feed
