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Victor Wembanyama Scores 38 As Spurs Stun Suns Again

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Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 38 points in the fifth game of his rookie season as the Spurs improved to 3-2 at the expense of the Suns. It was the second time this week that San Antonio has gotten the better of Phoenix. 10 of Wembanyama’s points came in the final 4:15 of the game, outscoring the entire Suns roster over that same period. Furthermore, the game marked Wembanyama’s second NBA double-double as he also notched 10 rebounds in the 132-121 win. Additionally, the French rookie knew exactly what to say when asked if he felt he was a clutch player. “It’s a requirement if we’re being ambitious,” he told reporters.

However, Wemby also showed some astute insight as he mulled the win. “Every game is different. We got our third win. Every game we try to find the spots that we need to hurt them. Today, it might have been in this way. Tomorrow, it will be someone else. That is how great teams work. If we want to be great, we need to play with everyone,” he explained. His performance comes in as the third-best performance by a rookie in history. David Robinson holds the top two spots, with 40 and 39-point performances in his 1990 rookie season.

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Spurs Roll Onward

The Spurs were also 3-2 after five games to open last season. However, their journey to the #1 pick was set in motion after a 1-14 November. But things feel different this time around – they come off back-to-back to wins against a conference contender and have one of the most exciting rookies in league history. For many Spurs fans, the benchmark will be 56 wins. That was what the team achieved in the rookie seasons of their last two #1 picks – David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

Next up on the schedule is a trip to Toronto this weekend. After all, the Spurs welcome Indiana and the Knicks to San Antonio. However, Devin Booker is already forward to the Spurs-Suns rematch in March. “He’s an unbelievable talent. Just trying to figure out what he is because we have never seen him before. We got him early in the season, and hopefully next time that we play him we can make some adjustments to make it tougher on him. But he has an advantage being 7-4 and being able to shoot over everybody. Just finding different ways to make it tough on him,” Booker said.

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Victor Wembanyama Impresses In NBA Debut

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Victor Wembanyama did a little bit of everything in a solid NBA debut for the Spurs. The French rookie had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals in his 23-minute debut. However, he also struggled with turnovers and fouls, picking up five of each. “Lots of emotions for sure. But it would have been perfect with a win,” Wembanyama said after the game. “It might be frustrating, but always keeping your heads up is good for my teammates. I can’t show it on the court, and we learn every day,” he added.

His performance was also praised by head coach Gregg Popovich. “One of the toughest things for a player is to get into foul trouble. You never get into a rhythm, you’re in and out of the game and that sort of thing. I thought his maturity showed, even at a young age, where he came in with the last seven minutes and just played. We ran some stuff for him, he executed where a lot of guys would have been totally out of it by then because, as you said, were in foul trouble and didn’t get the rhythm. I thought he had a wonderful outing considering that,” Coach Pop noted.

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Wembanyama Impresses But Spurs Lose Late

Despite Wembanyama’s strong showing, the Spurs couldn’t hold on to their early lead. A combined 55 points from Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving helped the Mavericks pull away late in the all-Texas affair. Dončić ended the night on a triple-double with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Mavs star also had high praise for the rookie. “He has obviously the size, obviously like everybody talks, but the way he moves for 7-5, 7-6 — I don’t know what it is, sorry — but he moves incredible. He moves like a point guard almost. So it’s pretty amazing to see him. He’s going to have a great future, and it’s going to be amazing to watch,” Dončić said.

However, Devin Vassell, who led the Spurs with 23 points, said the team expects Wembanyama to only get greater. “We’re all figuring each other out. We’re all figuring out Wemby. He’s figuring us out. We just got to figure out how to play as a team and make sure that the game is easy for him and he doesn’t have to do as much as he has to do on iso situations and just getting him easy lobs, easy looks to get him going. He demands so much attention. If they are double-teaming him, we have to be able to cut and make certain plays out of that.”

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Britney Spears Fans Troll Victor Wembanyama During Spurs Debut

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The sports and music worlds have been caught up in a wild saga in recent days after a security guard employed by the San Antonio Spurs allegedly slapped Britney Spears. According to Spears, she had approached NBA rookie Victor Wembanyama at the ARIA Hotel in order to try and get a picture with him. However, after tapping him on the shoulder, she was reportedly backhanded across the face by Damian Smith, the Spurs’ Director of Team Security. Additionally, a witness claimed to corroborate Spears’ story but also added that she was behaving somewhat erratically. According to Brian Grajales, Spears was speaking in a British accent while approaching Wembanyama. Furthermore, she screamed “That’s America for you! Fuck you all!” after Wembanyama was ushered inside the restaurant. Despite this, police in Las Vegas declined to file any charges in the case.

However, video of the incident also makes it clear why charges were not filed in the incident. Most importantly, Smith did not directly or intentionally slap Spears as claimed. Instead, Smith appears to knock Spears’ hand away from Wembanyama’s back. As a result, either his arm or her hand makes incidental contact with her face. However, it would be dishonest to call it a “backhand”. Furthermore, Spears was not knocked to the ground as she initially claimed. Additionally, Wembanyama was not being “swarmed” by fans at the time of the incident. At the moment Spears approached, there was three or four team personnel walking beside Wembanyama. However, the video makes it clear that there was no intentional malice and that the reports that Spears had been directly “slapped” were at best, exaggerated.

Spears Fans Troll Wembanyama

The feud somewhat continued during Wembanyama Spurs debut during the NBA Summer League on July 7. Wembanyama had 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a 76-68 Spurs win. The French prospect was humble in his admission that he still has a long way to go. “I think the biggest improvement I’ve got to do is being ready and being ready to react to the plays called by the point guard and staying connected,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of conditioning to do,” Wembanyama said. “Especially with our play style, we run a lot. It’s really exhausting. Even though it was 40 minutes tonight, when I subbed out, I was always tired and exhausted. So I think there’s a lot of conditioning to do,” he added.

The performance lead to some relentless trolling on social media from Spears’ fans. “Britney scoring in heels take notes victor wembanyama,” a Twitter user noted while posting a clip of Britney playing basketball on Ellen. “Retweet if you think Britney Spears could beat Victor Wembanyama in 1:1,” said another while posting pictures of Spears playing in a celebrity basketball game. “Victor Wembanyama the walking twig got smacked and his reaction’s priceless. That Britney voodoo is real,” added a third, referring to Wembanyama’s struggles against more physical players. Wembanyama will next be in action against the Blazers on July 9.

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San Antonio Spurs Reportedly Looking To Acquire Another First-Round Pick

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The San Antonio Spurs took a major step forward in their rebuild last week. On a tense night, the Spurs won out when they were granted the first pick in the NBA Draft lottery. That gave them the privilege of expected generational talent Victor Wembanyama. The French superstar has been the presumptive first-overall pick for years now.

The Spurs have missed the playoffs in the last four seasons and won just 22 games in the 2022/23 campaign. That’s an eight-game dropoff compared to the season prior. The most recent season included dismal 1-win months in November and February. However, moves during the season, which pointed to a tank job, have set up the Spurs nicely in terms of draft capital. However, recent rumors indicate the Spurs might not be done yet.

Spurs Looking For Another First Rounder

AUSTIN, TX – APRIL 06: Kevin Knox II #11 of the Portland Trailblazers drives past Dominick Barlow #26 of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Moody Center on April 06, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

According to Rafael Barlowe of NBA Big Board, “The San Antonio Spurs are said to be working the phones looking for deals to acquire an additional first-round pick, preferably in the lottery, to add a point guard.” The rumor comes after reports that the Spurs met with PGs Cason Wallace and Amen Thompson at the NBA Combine.

Both players are intriguing prospects. However, both will likely come at a steep price. Thompson is expected to be off the board by the fourth pick, going either third or fourth. While the Spurs do have a wealth of picks, teams will be wary. No one wants to provide the Spurs with too many elite picks in this year’s stacked draft. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s Cason Wallace is expected to go early in the double-digit picks. While as not as steep a price, the Spurs can still expect to pay heavily to trade back up that high in the first round. This is just the latest in a bevy of trade stories surrounding the first few picks of the draft. The Blazers are reportedly willing to trade the third-overall pick in order to add an “elite” small forward. Meanwhile, the Rockets are fielding multiple calls about the fourth-overall pick.

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San Antonio Spurs Win Victor Wembanyama Lottery

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The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery has been hyped for many months as one of the most impactful in years. The reason for this is Victor Wembanyama, a 19-year-old French forward/center. Wembanyama is the most-anticipated NBA prospect since LeBron and could become the next generational star of the NBA. His 7″5 frame, 8-foot wingspan, and ability to shoot off the dribble and hit step-back threes is a lethal combination.

While Wembanyama has been playing professionally in France since 2019, 2023 marks the year that he is eligible to declare for the NBA draft. It’s a moment that Wembanyama has spent a decade preparing for, ever since his days playing youth-league ball in Paris’ 15th Arrondissement. And then, on May 16, the day had finally arrived for an NBA team to get their next superstar.

Spurs Win First Draft Lottery Since 1997

Entering the draft lottery, three teams held the highest odds to earn the first-overall pick. The Pistons, who held the worst record in the NBA this season, were hoping for the second #1 pick in the last three drafts, also selecting first in 2021. However, it was more of a historic moment for the other two teams with the best odds. The Rockets had last held the first-overall pick in 2002 when they selected Yao Ming. As for the Spurs, they hadn’t picked first overall since taking Tim Duncan in 1997.

But the night quickly turned to heartbreak for two of the three teams. The Pistons were called at #5, marking the fifth consecutive that that worst team in the NBA didn’t get the first-overall pick. Meanwhile, the Rockets came off the board a pick later at #4. By the time Commissioner Adam Silver arrived at the #2 pick, only the Hornets and Spurs were left. As the envelope revealed Charlotte’s logo, Spurs owner Peter J. Holt could be seen pounding the top of his podium in joy. Speaking to the press later, Holt reiterated how he felt about the result of the lottery. “I’m a believer that good things happen to great people,” Holt said. “We’re surrounded by amazing people that try to be of service and help others and build things that are great. So you’re going to attract some amazing things. That’s what happened tonight.”

Twitter Reacts

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