By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following the San Antonio Spurs’ dominant victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Saturday, Victor Wembanyama addressed the persistent myths regarding the intensity of play in the NBA.
“There was a lot of talk before I was in the NBA, ‘When you are in the NBA, nobody defends any more’, ‘There is no defense in the NBA’. I heard that a lot before coming here, but it’s just not true. Players are just that good,” he mentioned in a postgame press conference.
“I was surprised by the dedication of the whole staff when I got here. And I’ve heard that from other franchises. Franchises that win. Franchises that didn’t win. And we weren’t winning a lot at the time. People actually do guard in the NBA and do lot of defensive scouting reports,” added Wemby.
This defensive reality is something even the league’s elite have noticed when facing the 22-year-old center. During a recent appearance on The Young Man and the Three, 37-year-old forward Nicolas Batum shared an anecdote regarding Wembanyama’s growing reputation as a rim protector.
“Someone told me that when he was a rookie. I think it was Embiid. He said he won’t break the all-time record for blocks because people are going to be too scared to shoot in front of him,” he remarked.
Despite the fear he inspires, Batum noted that the French phenom is still only scratching the surface. “I’m not surprised. That’s the thing. I think in France, nobody is surprised. We knew,” shared the 37-year-old French forward.
“What I find the craziest with him is he knows who he is, what he has to do, to become what he has to become. And that’s not easy, actually. He’s having a great season. Might get MVP. He’s up there. But I don’t think he has really figured it out, yet,” he added.
The French center’s evolution has been mirrored by the growth of his teammates. Reflecting on how much the Spurs have improved since his arrival in 2023, he credited their collective chemistry.
“I would say using each other strength, and I think it shows because it’s often a different guy on the team who shines,” he explained.
That synergy has propelled San Antonio to a 56-18 record in the 2025-26 Regular Season and an eighth consecutive win, placing them just two games behind the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Of course. For us, it’s attacking every game the same way. We’re going to see how it goes down the wire, until the end of the season,” Wembayama replied when asked if the team is focused on chasing down the top seed.