Victor Wembanyama lost his grandmother before the NBA Cup final: "It's good to have lived this experience"

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs left Las Vegas with positive feelings despite the 124-113 loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup final. Beyond the result, the Texan team saw the game as a step forward in their growth process, a high-level experience that directly targets the ultimate goal: competing when the decisive moments of the season arrive.

The French center, in only his second game after missing 12 matches, came off the bench and produced 18 points and 16 rebounds. For Wembanyama, the context of the game served as valuable practice for the future. “I guess it's the best possible practice for important games because our focus is already on the playoffs, which is the biggest moment of the year,” he explained. “It's good to have had this experience.”

However, the night had a strong emotional component for the 21-year-old player. Visibly affected in the subsequent press conference, he apologized before saying, “I'm sorry, today I lost someone.” The club later confirmed that Wembanyama had learned of his grandmother's death in France earlier that day.

Collectively, the Spurs competed for a good portion of the game. They held an 11-point lead with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, but the final period proved challenging for them. The Knicks imposed their physicality and experience, with a decisive 35-19 run and a clear dominance on the boards, outrebounding San Antonio 23-6 in that final stretch.

Coach Mitch Johnson emphasized the context. “It was only our second game together as a team,” he pointed out. “Playing very competitive games against very good and experienced teams, accustomed to these kinds of situations.” The final came after weeks marked by injuries and was only the second game of the season with the entire roster available.

That journey included a prestigious victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champions, in the NBA Cup semifinals, also with Wembanyama coming off the bench. “These are very good experiences,” the coach insisted. “You have to execute and know how to respond when the game seems to be slipping away. Sometimes it comes down to a fundamental action that doesn't directly involve the ball.”

Inside the locker room, Keldon Johnson, the longest-tenured player on the team, spoke of a new feeling for the team: living with real expectations of winning. “When you have the expectation to win, it obviously hurts more when you don't,” he explained. “The uncomfortable part is that now we expected to win, and it didn't happen, and the way to respond to that is different. In the past, we didn't have that expectation. Now it's different.”

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Since the 2019-20 season, their debut in the NBA, the Spurs have not surpassed 34 victories in a campaign. Therefore, the experience gained in the NBA Cup is seen as accelerated learning. “We have to keep building,” Johnson added. “Establish good habits and rely on each other in tough moments. We have good veterans, and when we find our rhythm with everyone available, we will be in an even better position.”

There were also encouraging individual signs. Rookie Dylan Harper once again responded in a challenging environment, with 21 points and 7 rebounds off the bench. Stephon Castle contributed 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists. “The potential is very high,” Harper stated. “Being on this side now is a great learning experience. It teaches us a lot about ourselves and makes it clear that we still have a lot of room for growth.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Victor Wembanyama perdió a su abuela antes de la final de la NBA Cup: "Es bueno haber vivido esta experiencia"