Getty Image
Victor Wembanyama has already lived up to the massive amount of hype that surrounded him prior to his NBA arrival, and Gregg Popovich got the chance to put his stellar play into perspective while expertly using the topic to flex his envy-inducing wine cellar.
Most sportsbooks currently list Victor Wembanyama as the odds-on favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors despite the best efforts of Chet Holmgren, and it’s pretty hard to argue he doesn’t deserve it based on what he’s been able to achieve over the course of his first season with the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs might be far and away the worst team in the Western Conference thanks to the 15-53 record they’ve posted as they near the end of a season defined by an 18-game losing streak, but there’s been a very shining silver lining courtesy of the promise Wembanyama has shown.
The 7’4″ Frenchman known as “Wemby” has averaged 20.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and the same number of blocks during an inaugural campaign where he’s been on the receiving end of praise from some of the best players in the NBA. Even if you think he has some work to do before he officially reaches “Superstar” status, his ascension to that tier seems like a foregone conclusion.
The 20-year-old has also benefitted from playing under a legendary head coach in the form of Gregg Popovich, a man who already had an appreciation for the big man’s homeland thanks to his well-documented love of wine (the noted oenophile once resided in a mansion with a cellar that could hold 3,000 bottles).
On Sunday, the Spurs earned a victory over the Nets in a contest where Wemby did Wemby things by racking up 33 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and seven blocks (making him the only NBA player not named “Kareem Adul-Jabbar” to achieve that particular stat line), and after the game, Popovich bragged about his wine collection while noting every bottle of Bordeaux he owns was produced before Wembanyama was born.
Pop confirms his French wines are older than his French center:
"All my Bordeauxs are older than Victor. That's a true statement."
— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) March 18, 2024
Must be nice.