Spurs center Victor Wembanyama: “What I’m pissed about is there’s probably 100 games before we can be back in the Finals. … I’m going to have to hold that inside of me and slow down and wait and execute for 100 games.”
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Wild Scene as Victor Wembanyama Is Struck by Egg Thrown From Crowd
Victor Wembanyama had been terrific in his first-ever NBA playoff run, leading the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals, only to lose in five games against the New York Knicks.
The loss stings for Wembanyama, who is only 22 years old and is touted as the next great Spurs star.
With the defeat, Wembanyama expressed his frustrations about having to go through an entire season again just to get the same shot as they had in the playoffs, before sending a warning to the entire league for his return next year.
“What I’m pissed about is that there’s probably a hundred games before we can be back in Finals,” Wembanyama said in the post-game press conference. “So, I don’t know how to say it in English, but I’m going to have to, you know, hold that inside of me and slow down and wait, and execute for a hundred games.”
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama: “What I’m pissed about is there’s probably 100 games before we can be back in the Finals. … I’m going to have to hold that inside of me and slow down and wait and execute for 100 games.”
GettyVictor Wembanyama confidently declared that the Spurs would rally from their 3-1 deficit against the Knicks
Wembanyama had 19 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks in the Spurs’ Game 5 loss to the Knicks, whose squad picked up their first NBA championship in 53 years.
However, he struggled to contribute late in the game as the Spurs only scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to blow a double-digit lead in the game. Wemby shot 7 of 19 from the field, and 1 of 6 from the 3-point line.
In the NBA Finals, he averaged 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game as the Spurs only won one game in the series.
Wembanyama is expected to continue to be in the title hunt for the years to come. This year, he led the Spurs to series victories against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Minnesota Timberwolves led by Anthony Edwards, and the 2025 NBA champions OKC Thunder, led by the two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
GettyVictor Wembanyama looks ahead to next season as the San Antonio Spurs remain one of the favorites to win the Western Conference next year.
Victor Wembanyama is looking at the positives of this NBA Finals loss, saying that this is the biggest learning experience of his life.
“I think that doesn’t compare to anything before. This is the biggest lesson of my life, the biggest learning moment,” he said. “I’m learning more than any other time in my life before.”
Victor Wembanyama on what it was like to watch the Knicks celebrate on their home floor:
“I think that doesn’t compare to anything before.
This is the biggest lesson of my life, the biggest learning moment..
I’m learning more than any other time in my life before.”
Wembanyama, standing at 7 feet 4 inches, won the Defensive Player of the Year unanimously this season and was in the MVP race in just his third year in the league.
He steered the Spurs to 64 wins in the regular season, allowing them to get the No. 2 seed in a stacked Western Conference.
However, the Spurs will have to do the same mountain climb again next year as other Western Conference squads load up for their challenge.
The team remains one of the most promising in the league with young players such as Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and Wembanyama, along with veterans such as De’Aaron Fox, Luke Kornet, and Julian Champagnie.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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