Player The unfortunately low-ceilinged Shaolin monastery of Victor Wembanyama

[Sugus]

I don't think people disliking cocky, petty comments is being miserable. It is human nature to feel aversion against arrogant behaviour, even if it is from your own people.

I wonder if someone within the Spurs organization is advising Wemby against these type of comments. He's still young and hasn't won yet, so people still like him; but as soon as he starts winning, people will turn against him if he keeps this up. It just serves him no good. Don't tell us how good you are, just show us and let the rest do the talking.

Disliking the comments is fine, but that's not the reactions I've been seeing to the comments -- it's quickly turned to hate towards him as a player/person. It certainly sounds like miserable talk coming from miserable people (not you, obv) to me, like only the "humble brag" way of being is allowed socially. That's bullshit - Michael Jordan would've been killed for any of his comments today, yet he's widely the GOAT of the sport. Clearly something changed between his time and today (and clearly being "humble" isn't enough to avoid hate, as OKC is pretty "humble" in public yet they're disliked because of their on-court play).

Your point is exactly why I like the comments: he's backed up his talk every step of the way. He will be hated regardless if/when he wins - why should he be quiet and reserved, when the hate is inevitable? I love my #1 player to have that fire in him, to understand the stakes, and to not mind being vocal about it. Obviously far from Timmy's demeanor, but I'll quickly argue that we cannot gatekeep what "being a Spur" is to being == Tim Duncan. That's unhealthy and unrealistic, an unfair expectation to new players who have nothing to do with Timmy himself.

I'll also argue that insofar as raising the stakes on himself also pushes him to play better / fiercer, it absolutely does him good to say these things. Hell, if he'll play like he did against the Thunder every game, he can go on the mike before every game for all I care some people are wired different, top level athletes notoriously so...

 

[PhantomDashCam]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2000651207225057679

 

[Spurs Homer]

I think people read into wembys comments what they are feeling/thinking he means…

“Do you see the world as it is? Or…Do you see the world as YOU are?

Wemby says he loves the fact that “we play a beautiful and ethical game…”

I hear: “spurs play a beautiful and ethical game”
Others hear: “he is saying okc is not playing ethically!”

I hear, “when i return- ill be the best player” - i agree and hear wemby stating a plain fact

Others hear: “why is he arrogant/cocky/ etc…”

I also read between the lines that maybe the language of french vs english might have a little lost in translation and his intention is not (or might be?) arrogance?

Either way, i fail to see any issue in his comments and maybe the issue is in the people mis-interpreting his comments…

 

[Corso]

I think people read into wembys comments what they are feeling/thinking he means…

“Do you see the world as it is? Or…Do you see the world as YOU are?

Wemby says he loves the fact that “we play a beautiful and ethical game…”

I hear: “spurs play a beautiful and ethical game”
Others hear: “he is saying okc is not playing ethically!”

I hear, “when i return- ill be the best player” - i agree and hear wemby stating a plain fact

Others hear: “why is he arrogant/cocky/ etc…”

I also read between the lines that maybe the language of french vs english might have a little lost in translation and his intention is not (or might be?) arrogance?

Either way, i fail to see any issue in his comments and maybe the issue is in the people mis-interpreting his comments…

I hear a guy that expects himself to live up to himself and his team is playing awesome team basketball and here we go baby.

Let's win some shit.

 

[Shmurs]

Vic understands that he’s more than a human. Truly. He’s personally on a different tier of existence. He’s intellectually blessed. He’s one of the most physically gifted individuals in human history. He seems to be just good at everything and he’s 7’6. You see him just walk over that barrier the other night? He sees normal human things and laughs. He doesn’t live like anyone else.

Insecure people can call it arrogant if they want. But he’s just being factual.

 

[scott]

I also read between the lines that maybe the language of french vs english might have a little lost in translation and his intention is not (or might be?) arrogance?

This is a really good point. Americans have always had this perspective/stereotype of the French being arrogant, mostly stemming from cultural differences most of us (as Americans) just simply don’t understand.

 

[PanameSpur]

Americans find the French arrogant
The French find Americans arrogant
Americans find Brits arrogant
Brits find Americans arrogant
The Brits find the French arrogant
The French find the Brits arrogant
...

 

[DAF86]

This is a really good point. Americans have always had this perspective/stereotype of the French being arrogant, mostly stemming from cultural differences most of us (as Americans) just simply don’t understand.

The guy that started the whole argument about Wemby being arrogant in this thread is French, so I doubt that's it, tbh.

 

[DAF86]

Something people forget is Wemby is 21, the other day I came across some of the shit I used to say/write/do on facebook when I was at that age and I almost died of cringe. The worst part is that I was always considered to be a smart, mature kid.

Moral of the story: no matter how mature you are for your age, you are still unexperienced and you're gonna say/do a lot of dumb shit that you're gonna regret later in life. That's why these celebrity kids, that are more exposed, need to have some professional advisor on their ear.

 

[frenchfred]

This is a really good point. Americans have always had this perspective/stereotype of the French being arrogant, mostly stemming from cultural differences most of us (as Americans) just simply don’t understand.

I think that when you say that you are the best, especially when you have not won anything, in any language it can be seen as arrogant. Now, if he play like an MVP, he will be able to back it up but so far this season he has not been the best player. He is the best defensive player but he is not the best offensive one by far. Again, some people like this type of attitude and others, like me, don't. It is not a big deal, I think that everybody is happy that he is a Spurs. Now he just has to show everybody that he is the best

 

[scott]

I think that when you say that you are the best, especially when you have not won anything, in any language it can be seen as arrogant. Now, if he play like an MVP, he will be able to back it up but so far this season he has not been the best player. He is the best defensive player but he is not the best offensive one by far. Again, some people like this type of attitude and others, like me, don't. It is not a big deal, I think that everybody is happy that he is a Spurs. Now he just has to show everybody that he is the best

I do think there is a subtlety here in that he didn’t say he IS the best… he said he WILL BE the best. Maybe this is semantics and just trying to cope with a statement the star on my team made… but I think he says these things to push himself… but I honestly wouldn’t have the first clue obviously

 

[CrustyCoastBendFan]

I’m confused—are we really debating the ethics of Wemby’s trash talking? Of if he is Shit talking at all?
It’s trash talk. He was pointing and basically laughing at the guys during the OKC game. This is a statement of fact, not conjecture or interpretation. Just check the game tape. When you consider all his statements before and after in the context of his actions during the OKC game, there’s no room for interpretation or nuance.

- Victor is Shit talking.
- He absolutely loathes the OKC Thunder Floppers, particularly Caruso.
- He whole heartedly believes he is better than Jokic, Giannis, and SGA.

Let go of your preconceived ideas about what a "Spurs Guy" is. This is a new era, and the trash-talking Giant is on our team—who cares how it looks to anyone else? Let them get mad.

 

[frenchfred]

I do think there is a subtlety here in that he didn’t say he IS the best… he said he WILL BE the best. Maybe this is semantics and just trying to cope with a statement the star on my team made… but I think he says these things to push himself… but I honestly wouldn’t have the first clue obviously

He said: "“I think Jokic is the best offensive player. I don’t think he’s the best player… I think it’s between Giannis and Shai. When I come back on the court, I think it will be me.” so essentially, he says that he is the best player now that he has returned to the court. Now he just needs to back it up and he has the tools to do it. December 23rd and 25th are going to be fun as the Thunders will want to take their revenge

 

[VBM]

Let go of your preconceived ideas about what a "Spurs Guy" is. This is a new era, and the trash-talking Giant is on our team—who cares how it looks to anyone else? Let them get mad.

Thank goodness Pop is in the front-office. He'd would be trying to stifle what Wemby is saying, "that's not who we are" and all that other "it's just basketball" BS.

 

[RC_Drunkford]

If Pop was coaching this would be a play-in team at best

 

[ginobilized]

I guess we were just used to Timmy’s no comment and little emotional robotic ways. He simply let his play do the talking.
As long as Wemby backs up his talk, I’m fine with it and I’m sure most spurs fans will be!

I guess worst case is where he continues to talk but then begins to regress but I don’t foresee that happening.

If all goes well, the regression happens around 2035

 

[NASpurs]

Around the 10:00+ mark, KG mentions that he doesn't know who's working with Wemby in development and says that if the Spurs are listening, he wants to come in and get a session with Wemby. Says he wants to simplify some things for Wemby.

 

[brazil]

Around the 10:00+ mark, KG mentions that he doesn't know who's working with Wemby in development and says that if the Spurs are listening, he wants to come in and get a session with Wemby. Says he wants to simplify some things for Wemby.

I don't see a fit with KG personality wise... I mean Victor reads books in the locker room, KG is entertaining and stuff had a great career but dude does not strike me as being the most oxygenated trout of the river tbh...

 

[UbikRex]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2000651207225057679

Would love to see Wemby do the dunk contest once to do a from the 3pt line dunk if he can pull it off. Regardless if he wins. That would live on as the greatest dunk in the contest till it is beaten

 

[RC_Drunkford]

I don't see a fit with KG personality wise... I mean Victor reads books in the locker room, KG is entertaining and stuff had a great career but dude does not strike me as being the most oxygenated trout of the river tbh...

What does personality have to do with that? KG had one of the best face up games, which is exactly what Victor has to learn

 

[absoloot66]

Around the 10:00+ mark, KG mentions that he doesn't know who's working with Wemby in development and says that if the Spurs are listening, he wants to come in and get a session with Wemby. Says he wants to simplify some things for Wemby.

4:13 - "Billy the Kid wasn't grown, understand?" Immediately followed up by: "..you got fight, heart & kahunas?" This fucking guy

 

[absoloot66]

I don't see a fit with KG personality wise... I mean Victor reads books in the locker room, KG is entertaining and stuff had a great career but dude does not strike me as being the most oxygenated trout of the river tbh...

Definitely not the most oxygenated

 

[CrustyCoastBendFan]

Definitely not the most oxygenated

You're not wrong. These two were both whales that the current guys under FBI indictment set up as suckers. Chauncey, along with his collaborators, arranged for them to play in high-stakes poker games that were rigged. Isn't Pierce in Vegas in this podcast right here? Didn't the Ticket introduce Tim to his "business guy" who embezzled tens of millions from 21 and was also convicted here in San Antonio? No what Im sayin'?

• Kevin Garnett's Involvement: Initially, Kevin Garnett actually showed up at Banks' sentencing to offer moral support, reportedly unaware at the time that he also had been defrauded.

 

[thiste]

How Many NBA Rosters Would You Trade for Wembanyama?​