Victor Wembanyama Talks Ankle Injury, Loss to Utah Jazz (Credit: San Antonio Spurs)
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama talks to the media following his return to action after missing a game against the Dallas Mavericks.
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00:00 What are the biggest things you want this group to have a 4-4 lead?
00:15 I don't know.
00:18 If we knew, I think we'd correct it right away.
00:23 There's plenty of reason to me, I think.
00:27 I'm not going to count every reason, but there's plenty of them.
00:31 Victor, how was the ankle tonight?
00:33 It was fine.
00:34 No pain, no discomfort.
00:37 Pretty much did.
00:38 In terms of movement, you didn't really feel any effects?
00:42 No.
00:44 I think sometimes there might be some, you know, I think about it, I think I have to
00:51 twist it.
00:52 Otherwise I'm good.
00:53 Any thoughts on how you twisted it in Dallas on the ball boys?
00:59 I mean, it's just, of course it's just dumb, but I didn't play only because, you know,
01:08 more precaution than actual hurt.
01:11 So there was more fear than anything bad.
01:17 So it's all good.
01:19 I'm not mad after the guy.
01:20 How do you deal with that?
01:23 Like the fact that you want to play every game, but you have to be limited because of
01:27 all those precautions?
01:30 Of course it's always painful, you know, to sit out and watch the guys play without you.
01:37 But it's, as I said before, we think about the long run.
01:43 It's the first thing the coach told me after I was told I was going to sit out was that
01:52 my career is longer than that, you know, it's bigger than just a game against Dallas.
01:58 So we're going to be smart.
02:00 Speaking of Pops said you're definitely not going to play both games in Portland.
02:05 It sounds like you could play, if it were up to you, you would play both games?
02:11 Where are you on that?
02:12 I mean, you know, I like, you know, we communicate a lot with the medical staff and I want them,
02:22 I've made it clear that I want them to sit me out.
02:26 I'm going to trust them if they want me to sit out, but only if I really need to, you
02:30 know, because if they force me to pretty much, but if it was up to me, I'd play every game,
02:35 of course.
02:36 But I respect the, you know, my role, the professionals and I'm a professional.
02:41 I try to do my job as best as I can, but of course, if it was up to me, I'd play every
02:45 game.
02:46 Victor, what did you think about just the new lineup tonight, Keldon coming off the
02:47 bench, you and Devin kind of staggered a little bit.
02:48 Do you think that worked out okay for the spots?
02:49 Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think it worked out okay, you know, beginning of the game.
03:00 I think, I think Keldon feels comfortable too.
03:03 He gets a lot of involvement, you know, this way.
03:06 And yeah, we need to keep experiencing, but I think it worked out pretty well.
03:12 Does it mean a lot to you guys that Keldon, a guy that's been here longer than anybody,
03:16 is a starter, is willing to move to the bench if it's for the good of the team?
03:20 Yes, it's, I mean, it's, what was the question?
03:23 Does it mean a lot to you guys, does it say something to you guys about his character?
03:26 Yeah, you know, it's, he's showed, he hasn't showed any, you know, any bad thoughts about
03:33 it and even he showed his will, you know, to move that way because he probably talked
03:38 with the coaches about it.
03:40 So it's, you know, it tells a lot about how good a teammate he is.
03:44 And when you guys are kind of looking at the upcoming stretch and, you know, the losses
03:45 have started to pile up a little bit, not nearly where they were a few weeks ago, but
03:46 you know, what's being said, you know, you're going to run the team in the locker room
03:47 to kind of prevent, you know, because you all are saying, you know, we don't want to
03:48 be back where we were at that 18 game.
04:00 What is being said?
04:01 Yeah.
04:02 I mean, you know, before the coaches talk to us at halftime after the game, we always
04:10 have a little talk only between us players and, you know, trying to reassure us and keeping
04:18 our head up, you know, everyone is still locked in and together, but, you know, we want to,
04:25 our job as players is trying to apply as much as we can to the scouting report and the coaches'
04:30 instructions, but after that, together, we got to support each other as teammates, but
04:35 we have a good spirit in the team.
04:37 Nice guys take a couple of French.
04:40 I was talking to Mahmoud earlier in the locker room before the game about Guillaume's impact
05:02 on him, whether it's physically, but also mentally.
05:03 I know that Guillaume has a pretty holistic approach to the body and mind.
05:04 I wanted to know what impact he had on you at that level, if he has any.
05:05 And are there any concrete things, any advice, books, things to look at?
05:06 We don't like the same kind of books, but it's more discussions.
05:11 Let's say that he does a lot of research that feels a little bit ordinary, especially
05:20 for physical preparation, mainly, of course, for health.
05:23 So, yeah, he brings me a lot of knowledge already, and also, in terms of mentality,
05:31 he pushes me to persist a little bit through the little things.
05:38 I remember last year, for example, in France, everything was not comparable here, in terms
05:47 of organization, etc.
05:48 But Guillaume was really the one who pushed me the most to go beyond this extra-basket
05:56 difficulty.
05:58 I think there was a whole family there tonight, it's their first time.
06:03 Did you manage to disconnect, to do the Viva, to take a little time with your relatives?
06:08 Yeah, we had 24 hours.
06:09 It was 24 hours without doing anything, without going to basketball, without even looking at
06:13 my phone.
06:14 So, yeah, it was really precise.
06:15 Thanks, V.
06:16 Thanks, V.
06:17 Thanks.
06:18 You too.
06:19 Thanks.
06:19 - Thanks guys.