Latest news with #VictorWembanyama
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert face off in different kind of battle
The post Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert face off in different kind of battle appeared first on ClutchPoints. Despite missing the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, and an opportunity to face Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama's future remains bright. Many predict Wembanyama's trajectory to surpass Gobert's impressive achievement as a four-time Defensive Player of the Year recipient. Wembanyama was ruled out for the season due to blood clots, which took his name out of running for DPOY. Cleveland Cavs All-Star Evan Mobley won it, taking the crown away from Gobert, who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. However, during the offseason, Rudy Gobert found himself in a different kind of battle with Wembanyama, and it was off the basketball court, and in front of a chess board, per NBA on ESPN's X, formerly Twitter. The two French centers were seen taking in a game of chess overseas. No word on which player won but it was cool to see two of the best defensive NBA bigs go head-to-head in a different kind of battle. Fortunately for Spurs fans, Wembanyama is expected to return for the start of the 2025-26 campaign, he revealed recently, per ESPN's Shams Charania. 'I'm officially cleared to return. It just happened — I got the green light from the Spurs' medical staff just a few hours ago (last Friday). Phew, I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again,' Wembanyama said. In his second NBA season, Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points on 47.6% shooting, including 35.2% from deep, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, a league-leading 3.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game last season. Victor Wembanyama reveals his long-term Spurs plans Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama hopes to play his entire NBA career with the team that drafted him. The 21-year-old phenom has the potential to become one of the most dynamic centers in league history. At 7-foot-3, Wembanyama's already a dominating defender, who can score from the outside, put the ball on the floor, and attack as a 24+ point scorer after winning Rookie of the Year in 2024. Wembanyama hopes to only wear a Spurs uniform throughout his career, he said, per Maxine Aubin's X, formerly Twitter. 'I know that not every player in the NBA has the same ambitions, but it's obviously my dream to spend my entire career with a single franchise. Here. In San Antonio,' Wembanyama said. Between the Spurs drafting Dylan Harper with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft and acquiring Kelly Olynyk and Luke Kornets via free agency, the Spurs will look to take a significant step in their growth as a young squad. Related: San Antonio Spurs' perfect move in 2025 NBA offseason Related: Spurs' Dylan Harper flaunts new Nike signature logo
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Victor Wembanyama reveals long-term Spurs ‘dream'
The post Victor Wembanyama reveals long-term Spurs 'dream' appeared first on ClutchPoints. The San Antonio Spurs are currently gearing up for what will be a 2025-26 season filled with expectation after the recent news that Victor Wembanyama has been cleared to return from his blood clot scare. Wembanyama has spent a large chunk of time this summer in China getting his body in peak condition and will enter this year on the short-list of candidates for the league MVP award. Recently, Wembanyama spoke on his dream to follow in the footsteps of players like Kobe Bryant and the Spurs' own franchise legend Tim Duncan by staying with one team for his whole career. 'I know that not every player in the NBA has the same ambitions, but it's obviously my dream to spend my entire career with a single franchise. Here. In San Antonio,' said Wembanyama, per Maxime Aubin of L'Équipe on X, formerly Twitter. It's certainly good news to hear for Spurs fans, who had seen their franchise in a rare down period for the few years before Wembanyama showed up thanks to some lucky lottery ping pong balls in the summer of 2023. How far can the Spurs go? Currently, the Spurs have a bit of a logjam on their roster at the guard position, as Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, last year's trade acquisition De'Aaron Fox, and this year's number two overall pick Dylan Harper all play essentially the same position. Of course, having too much talent is usually a good problem to have, but it will be interesting to see how the Spurs look to navigate that challenge, especially as it pertains to surrounding Wembanyama with lineups specifically orchestrated to maximize his unique skillset. Wembanyama almost assuredly would have won last year's Defensive Player of the Year award had he not been sidelined with a blood clot scare with just two months remaining in the season. Thankfully, the star has since recovered from that ailment and will be ready to go for 2025-26. If he can stay healthy this year, the Spurs could be serious threats to end their current playoff drought and put themselves back on the map in the vaunted Western Conference. Related: Spurs' De'Aaron Fox debuts his newest Curry Fox 2 Related: Spurs news: Riley Minix predicts Summer League buzzer-beater vs. Jazz
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spurs add ex-Thunder, Warriors sharpshooter
The post Spurs add ex-Thunder, Warriors sharpshooter appeared first on ClutchPoints. The San Antonio Spurs are expected to be in the mix this season when it comes to competitive teams in the Western Conference. They added some talent through the NBA Draft, and they recently made a free agent signing, bringing in a sharpshooter, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. 'Free agent guard Lindy Waters III has agreed to a one-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs, agents Shy Saee and Winston Nelson of Klutch Sports tell ESPN. Waters has shot 37% from 3 in his first four NBA seasons in Oklahoma City, Golden State and Detroit,' Charania wrote on W, formerly Twitter. Water has been in the league for four years, and he finished last season with the Detroit Pistons, but he's been more known for his tenures with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors. With the Thunder, he played three seasons there and averaged 5.3 points and 1.8 rebounds, while shooting 37.7 percent from the 3-point line. He was then traded to the Warriors, where he averaged 5.5 points per game. Waters can make an impact on the Spurs, and his 3-point shooting could come in handy when they need it. The Spurs have a lot of young depth, and that's a plus in a loaded Western Conference. Spurs have building blocks of strong foundation The Spurs have the pieces they need to succeed this season, and it all starts with Victor Wembanyama. A few weeks ago, the Spurs' star announced that he was cleared to return to the court after dealing with blood clots last season. Wembanyama had to miss the second half of last season because of the scare, but he should be back at full health by the time next season starts. Wembanyama also knows how important this franchise is to him, and through just three years, he knows this is where he wants to spend the rest of his career. 'I know that not every player in the NBA has the same ambitions, but it's obviously my dream to spend my entire career with a single franchise. Here. In San Antonio,' Wembanyama said via Maxime Aubin of L'Équipe on X. With Wembanyama, the Spurs can also find success in the league, and they have a good chance right now with players such as De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Keldon Johnson. They also have young players such as Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, and if they pan out to be as good as advertised, the Spurs should be a team to look out for now and years to come. Related: Spurs make move on 'phenomenal' Summer League star Related: Chris Paul pens emotional goodbye to Spurs as he returns to Clippers
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Sport
- LeMonde
Wembanyama mixes brains and bounce in hometown 'Hoop Gambit' tournament
Victor Wembanyama is a professional basketball player, but that's not all. Sidelined from the court since February due to a deep vein thrombosis – a clot blocking blood flow – in his right shoulder and ruled out of competing in the EuroBasket tournament in August with France, the San Antonio Spurs center has used this forced break to focus on personal and non-sporting projects. His most recent: a spiritual journey to a Shaolin temple in China, where the 21-year-old learned the basics of kung fu. It was a formative experience, both physically and mentally. Since then, the French international has swapped his monk's robe for the responsibilities of an event organizer. On Sunday, July 20, the Olympic silver medalist was back in his hometown Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, in the outskirts of Paris, to launch the first edition of his own tournament, dubbed "Hoop Gambit." The event featured a basketball competition (in two formats: one-on-one and 3×3) as well as chess games, another passion of Wembanyama. In December 2024, he publicly expressed his enthusiasm for this game of strategy, inviting his followers to challenge him to an impromptu match at Washington Square Park in New York City. Two radically different atmospheres This Sunday, nearly 150 people between the ages of 5 and 91 gathered at the Pierre-Curvat Gym to take part in the very first chess tournament organized by "Wemby." In the room, silence prevailed. The players stared intently at their chessboards, fully focused.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Victor Wembanyama Reveals How Much Weight He's Gained Since Entering The NBA
Victor Wembanyama Reveals How Much Weight He's Gained Since Entering The NBA originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Victor Wembanyama was the most hyped prospect to enter the NBA in years in 2023, and he has certainly lived up to all the hype. The one big concern regarding Wembanyama at the time was his slender frame, and he revealed during an appearance on Cold as Balls that he has gained 30 lbs since entering the NBA. "I gained probably like 30 lbs," Wembanyama said. Wembanayama stated he came in at around 215 to 220 lbs and is at 245 now. Host Kevin Hart wondered how the 21-year-old had managed to do that. "Strength training, of course, but the main thing for me is I could, in theory, put on a lot of weight, but I would lose some of my mobility," Wembanyama stated. "Some of my athleticism. So, it's something that needs to be done really carefully, and I have a lot of eyes and a lot of minds thinking about me in this instance." There were many calling for Wembanyama to bulk up as they feared his slender frame wouldn't be able to handle the rigors of the NBA. He and his team didn't pay any attention to the outside noise, though, and were focused on strength training. Wembanyama played 71 games in his rookie season after the San Antonio Spurs drafted him with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and ended it with averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game. He won Rookie of the Year and finished second in voting for DPOY. Wembanyama looked set to win the award and play over 70 games this season, but it wasn't to be. He was ruled out for the season at the All-Star break due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. That had nothing to do with Wembanyama's frame, of course. It was just an unfortunate health problem, but it isn't expected to be a problem moving forward. We should be able to see Wembanyama at his best in the 2025-26 season. He averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game before going down this past season, and it will be interesting to see if he takes a leap. Victor Wembanyama's Agent's Strong Message To Those Who Wanted His Client To Bulk Up Wembanyama's agent, Bouna Ndiaye, had addressed all the talk about his client needing to bulk up. Ndiaye made it clear that they will fight to not put weight on his body. "Did you see an issue here in Vegas? No. People are wrong," Ndiaye said. "We're not focused at all on weights. I don't want to put weight on his body. We're going to fight to not put weight on his body. Weight on his body [is] a big mistake. We focus on strength, core. We were very pleased that he linked up [with] Jabbar who played until [41] years old. That's the path that we want to take …" "I'm very glad they, they connected because uh, have a similar body type," Ndiaye continued. "Kareem was not heavy. Victor is more mobile, gaudier and taller than Kareem. So, that difference in height is a challenge and is something that we are working on every day. Making him heavy? We don't want to do that." Wembanyama's frame is somewhat similar to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's. Abdul-Jabbar never had to bulk up a lot to go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history, and the Spurs star's camp believes he won't have to story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
