Victor Wembanyama addressed the San Antonio Spurs at practice ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks with a message of serenity and conviction. The French star spoke about pressure, the Madison Square Garden atmosphere, the defensive challenge posed by the Knicks' offense, and the need to convert the Spurs' effort into results after two close losses.
Q. When you played here for the first time, Coach Popovich told you about how special this building was supposed to be, perhaps the best place to play basketball. Have you found that to be true? How have you enjoyed the experience?
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Yes, it's been very enjoyable to play here. Although I don't remember Pop saying that. I've definitely noticed it [smiles].
Q. Obviously, the Finals have come with an additional level of media attention, focus, a lot more noise around it. The expectation is that tomorrow will be especially like that, especially with the arrival of the president. Does that make it harder for you to isolate yourself and concentrate on what you need to do?
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Not really. I think it could be, but isolating myself is something I've practiced for years. I think I'm good at it. So it's not a problem.
This resembles, in media terms, something like the Olympics.
Q. There are many fans these days, kids who are watching Victor Wembanyama more, staying up until six in the morning to watch you play in the Finals. Do you have a message for those fans in the Middle East?
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Yes, I'm very grateful for what they do. That's true passion. I definitely appreciate the support so, so much.
Q. The offense the Knicks have forces you to defend everywhere, to run from one side to the other, whereas against other teams you can take a breather at the start of the possession and play near the rim. How has that challenge been for you? What have you learned in these first games about how you need to defend this team?
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: The challenge has been mostly about willpower, the willingness to do it. I feel like I'll take a breather at the end of the season.
Q. How has it been for you playing alongside De'Aaron Fox? What have you learned from him?
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: It's been great. I think he's saved us a lot of trouble, especially throughout the course of the season. Sometimes he makes things very easy for us. Yes, he's an experienced player we've always been able to turn to when we needed him, and I think it's easy to forget how young our point guards are and how valuable he's been for them.
Q. When you think about the fourth quarter, you did a lot of things well. In the final stretch, what do you think you could have done differently? Where do you see room for improvement there, especially in the closing moments?
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: I mean, there were a lot of things. It ranges from simply not turning the ball over to being smarter with fouls, or even fouling earlier sometimes in the possession.
I mean, it could have gone a thousand different ways.
Q. I want to understand it, not from the perspective of a player, but as a human being, as a 22-year-old human being. How do you manage the pressure in games like these two you have ahead?
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: How do I manage it? I think the key many times is acceptance, stepping back, realizing all the road behind this and what's ahead. Just being okay with who I am, where I am, and what I'm doing. I think this is everything I wanted.
There's really no reason to overthink it. I mean, this is what I'm made for.
Q. What's the biggest lesson you've learned during these two Finals games?
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: The biggest lesson is that…
I don't know, but I'll put it this way. We have to capitalize, really use all the effort we made. It felt like we did a lot, we did many things wrong, but we were also relentless and kept pushing, even though somehow we wasted that effort.
Although I know it's not wasted because the lessons are learned, I know we're not going to make the mistakes of the past again, but at a moment like this we have to make those things count.