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Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs speaks to the media before the NBA Finals.

Victor Wembanyama tasted his first-ever NBA Finals heartbreaking as the San Antonio Spurs lost in five games against the New York Knicks. 

Wembanyama opened up about the pain of losing in the NBA Finals when asked by a French reporter in their native language. 

According to the 22-year-old Wembanyama, the loss opened his eyes to double the work and make himself more durable for longer stretches in the playoffs. 

“I’m going to work even harder, obviously, to be even more durable and, above all, to keep a fresh mind and maintain control of the game at all times,” Wembanyama said in French. 

Wembanyama even commended Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, who was named the Finals MVP after dropping 45 points in the title-clinching Game 5, for his aggressiveness throughout the series, despite the physical defense by the Spurs. 

“That’s what really stands out about Jalen Brunson, for example,” Wemby said. “There are too many moments—and it doesn’t come from bad intentions—but there are too many moments where I’m passive, where I don’t have the control over the game that I’d like to have, and it ends up costing us.

“It’s painful, but I’m not running away from that. I’m using that to fuel me. … As I said, this is the biggest lesson of my life. As a team, there’s no better experience than what we just lived.”

Wembanyama played 38 minutes in Game 5 and had 19 points and 14 rebounds, but his presence late in the fourth quarter was lacking as the Sputs got outscored by the Knicks, 29-18, in the final frame to relinquish the crown. 

This is only Wembanyama’s third season in the NBA, and he is still expected to be one of the contenders in the Western Conference for years to come. 

Victor Wembanyama Experiences His Learning Moment

GettyVictor Wembanyama opens up on the pain of losing.

Victor Wembanyama admitted that the loss was his biggest learning moment so far in his career. He vowed to be a better player after the series. 

“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.”

In just his third season, Wemby is already one of the best players in the league. He was unanimously voted as the Defensive Player of the Year this season, while being an MVP candidate for the Spurs.

The Spurs have also been one of the top teams in the league because of Wembanyama. They won 64 games in the regular season and finished as the second seed in a stacked Western Conference. 

Spurs Now Have To Climb The Mountain Once More

GettyThe Spurs will again be in the hunt next year.

Now, the Spurs will have to climb the NBA mountain once more as they look to pick up their first NBA title since 2014. 

It is why Wembanyama is pissed off after losing the NBA Finals against the Knicks. 

“What I’m pissed about is that there’s probably a hundred games before we can be back in Finals,” Wembanyama said. “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.”

Nevertheless, the Spurs’ future remains bright with players like Wemby, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper leading the charge.